雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS are having talks with the Education Bureau (EB) about de-bundling textbooks and teaching materials. They have yet to come to any agreement. However, the day before yesterday, textbook publishers brazenly announced textbooks would on average be 3% to 5% more expensive this year. They have fully exposed their high-handedness and readiness to go back on their word.

英語

書商與教育局磋商教科書、教材分拆出售，未達共識之際，前日悍然單方面宣布今年書價平均加價3%至5%。書商霸道、反口食言的嘴臉，表露無遺。

普通話

Textbook publishers give schools teaching materials and equipment (like electronic whiteboards) but have parents pay for them. In 2008, the government set up a taskforce to deal with this problem. It subsequently demanded that textbooks and teaching materials be priced and sold separately. In May 2010, textbook publishers offered to freeze textbook prices on condition that the government deferred the de-bundling plan for a year. The government accepted the deal. It was agreed last year between textbook publishers and the government that textbooks and teaching materials be separately priced and sold this year. That is a solemn promise they have made society. They have now unilaterally refused to carry it out and even indicated they will raise textbook prices. It is outrageous for them to have broken their word and, taking advantage of their negotiations with the EB, seek to fleece parents even more grievously.

英語

2008年，政府鑑於學校每年收到不少電子白板等教材，成本卻轉嫁家長，遂成立專責小組，要求書商分拆教科書和教材定價。到2010年5月，書商提出教科書凍價，換取教科書和教材分拆定價延後1年實施，教育局接納有關安排。所以，今年教科書和教材分拆定價和出售，應該是去年書商與教育局所達致共識，也是書商對社會作出的莊嚴承諾。現在書商單方面拒絕分拆，更且提出了加價。書商反口食言，並借教育局過橋，變本加厲地搜刮家長，這個做法使人憤怒。

普通話

This being the case, the EB has failed to achieve a policy objective it has set itself. It has tried to compel textbook publishers to de-bundle textbooks and teaching materials with a view to lightening parents' financial burdens, but it has failed. We gather that, over the past twelve months, textbook publishers have repeatedly complained that de-bundling involves difficulties and requested that the plan be deferred for another year. In other words, there have been signs that they might renege on their promise. Have officials ever detected them? This is what the SAR government would do well to examine carefully.

英語

至於教育局，在書商食言蠻幹之後，未能達致既定政策目標，也就是說，教育局爭取教科書與教材分拆，從而減輕家長的負擔的努力，宣告失敗。據知書商1年來已多次提出警告，要求再延遲1年分拆，或一再訴說分拆有困難等等，亦即有很多有意反口的迹象，官員是否警覺得到？這些地方均十分都值得特區政府深刻反省。

普通話

It has much to do with textbook publishers' interests to de-bundle textbooks and teaching materials. Like the property market, the textbook market is distorted. There is an oligopoly, and competition is imperfect. Therefore, unless the EB is so determined to cause changes in the textbook market that textbook publishers would act scrupulously, we cannot see what it can possibly do in their talks to bring them to heel.

英語

分拆教科書和教材，涉及書商的巨大利益，而在市場扭曲、不存在完全競爭，類如地產市場處於寡頭壟斷的情况下，教育局除非有決心改變市場現狀，使得書商對政府有所忌憚，否則在磋商之中，實在看不出教育局有什麼招數，逼使書商非俯首貼耳不可。

普通話

It is the case in many other places (like the mainland and Japan) that the government controls the publishing of textbooks and provides students with them free of charge. The SAR government, which has full power to approve textbooks, is actually just a step from publishing them. As long as an independent body that has credibility screens textbooks to make sure that they cannot be used for political brainwashing, we do not see why the government should not publish any of them.

英語

其實，在其他國家，例如中國內地和日本等，都是由政府掌控或主導教科書出版，免費供應給學生，而在本港，政府對教科書有全面的審批權力，所以政府對教科書實際出版，其實只有一步之遙。只要本港有一個獨立、具公信力機制決定教科書的內容，確保教科書不會起着政治洗腦的作用，看不到政府為何不能參與出版教科書的理由。

普通話

Textbook publishers are too jealous of their immediate interests to hesitate to defy the government or set themselves against parents. In our view, the government must not remain weak. It must first make preparations for taking over textbook publishing and then, "drawing the bow without discharging the arrow", demand that textbook publishers change their strategies of doing business. It should give them one or two years to rectify their unfair and unjust pricing arrangements. If they ignore this demand or fail to achieve much, it should take action to protect parents' and students' interests. Unless the government does so, it will not restrain textbook publishers for it to condemn them in speech and in writing.

英語

我們認為，既然書商取態只求眼前利益，不惜與政府對抗、與家長為敵，政府不應該繼續軟弱下去，要積極做好主導教科書出版的前期準備工作，然後採取引而不發姿態，要求書商改變營運策略。如今應先以1年或兩年為限期，要求書商自行斧正教科書市場的種種不公、不義的定價安排。若書商不理會或效果不佳，政府就要出手保障家長和學生的利益。若非如此，政府的口誅筆伐，恐怕無法反制頑劣的書商。

普通話

明報社評 2011.04.06

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Wience Lai, Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=928

周文駿，香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?cms=651&lang=big5

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