"Publishing costs have risen 10 percent, paper by 30 to 40 percent, salaries by 5 percent and factory rents have increased by double-digits," Jing Kung Educational Press managing director Patrick Sinn Kwok-chung said.

Sinn said books from his company will cost around 5 percent more despite efforts to rein in overheads.

He said parents currently spend an average of HK$2,000 on books for a Primary One student.

However, this figure could rise by as much as one third when the new 3-3-4 structure and the accompanying Education Bureau book list come into effect next year.

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Based on the bureau's 2008-2009 approved book list, primary school textbook prices will rise from 3.3 to 5.2 percent, and secondary school textbooks will be 4.3 to 6.2 percent more expensive.

The current inflation rate has been put at 4.6 percent.

Sinn said price rises for about a quarter of the textbooks printed in Chinese would be less than the inflation rate and nearly half (45 percent) will be higher than 4.6 percent.

For textbooks printed in English, the price rises in 61 percent of the maths, 40 percent of the English language and 60 percent of general studies textbooks will exceed the rate of inflation.

For secondary school textbooks, price rises for 72 percent of Chinese language, 50 percent of the English language and 71 percent of maths textbooks will exceed the inflation rate.

Committee on Home School Cooperation member Yu Wing-fai said the increases were less than expected, but given the increases in the cost of food and transportation, many families could find the burden hard to bear.

"I hope the publishers and schools can take the situation facing parents into consideration when they pick next year's book list. But given the new academic structure we are facing, there maybe no choice but to accept it."

The prices of textbooks have been on the rise for the past three years, with increases of 5 to 7 percent in 2006 and 5 to 12 percent last year.