Buea: Textbook Burden Drives Families To Reuse, Exchange

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Buea: Textbook Burden Drives Families To Reuse, Exchange

While official lists provide a framework for what pupils and students are expected to use, households have developed their own strategies for coping with the cost.

26 Aug 2026 14:10

W ith the 2026/2027 school year sche duled to begin on September 7, parents in Buea, South West regional headquarters are already feeling the financial pressure of preparing their children for school. Among the major expenses is the purchase of textbooks, an essential com ponent of the back-to-school budget. The textbook trade is picking up as families have begun shopping for the new academic year. Bookshops and vendors of books at the various markets are among the outlets serving the growing demand for school books. The cost of textbooks depends on the child’s class, subject, publisher and whether the book is bought new or second-hand. For the 2026/2027 school year, the Ministry of Basic Education has published an official list of approved textbooks for nur sery and primary education. However, these lists do not show what parents actually pay at retail outlets. Retail prices also differ depending on the supplier, availability and whether a parent buys a new or used copy. After visiting some markets and bookshops in Buea, CBT noticed an increase in textbook costs over time. In the 2021/2022 school year, English-language primary textbooks ranged from about FCFA 1,500 to FCFA 2,250, depending on the class and book. Recently official lists show individual secondary-school titles selling for several thou sand FCFA. The 2025/2026 MINESEC list, for instance, included titles priced at FCFA 3,500 and above, with some books costing FCFA 4,500 or more. For the 2026/2027 school year, the official primary-school book lists show a textbook bill ranging from FCFA 14,750 for Class 4 to FCFA 16,250 for Classes 2 and 3, while Class 1 requires about FCFA 16,000 and Class 6 FCFA 15,750 for the listed books. The increase is also evident in individual books. A textbook that sold for around FCFA 1,500–1,900 in earlier official lists can now cost between FCFA 1,700 and FCFA 1,900 for several primary titles. Current Class 5 listings, for example, put English and Mathematics pupil books at about FCFA 1,900 each, with workbooks costing between FCFA 1,100 and FCFA 1,150. For secondary-school students, t...