Is The Booklist for UniHigh Necessary?
By Justin Nguyen & Nhien Nguyen
At the end of every year, the school gives out a booklist of all the stationery and books you are required to own for that next respective school year. Of course, the items you buy could all depend on the subjects you choose; electives vary in learning resources. However, as students move past the years, many have started to question practicality and affordability. Are these baseless allegations or is there some truth behind these claims?
It is no secret that textbooks are expensive as it is, but with the booklist, Unihigh students and affiliates are diverted to buy high-priced resources that they oftentimes do not need. It may surprise you to know that UniHigh is not exclusively responsible for the booklist but rather an organisation entitled ‘Campion’. They are the company that provides the booklists in majority of Victorian schools, as well as, the reason you have been spending $40 worth of Science prac books only for you to not use a single one. Only $40 wasted on a couple of books? That is only the tip of the iceberg, my friend.
Campion, like all companies, aim to make a profit off of their product. For example, a reading material such as ‘Animal Farm’ with a retail price of $15 would otherwise be sold for $23. In a sample size of 36 UniHigh students of different year levels, approximately 80% of students claimed the booklist provided by UniHigh was “expensive” in comparison to school items sourced elsewhere. This then begs the question, is the booklist for UniHigh necessary? And more importantly, how do you minimise overspending on these resources?
A year ten student was interviewed regarding the booklist and contended that “The booklist is unneeded and misleads parents and students to buy expensive things they likely do not need.” Even with extra precautions to reduce price such as second-hand books and buying from generic stores, the student still managed to not use well over $120 through textbooks, dictionaries and other resources they ended up not using. “The problem with the booklist is how it doesn’t show what you will be using for the next year; it only shows what you might use. It really boils down to how your teachers use the resources into their lessons, which can be really annoying because you buy so much only to actually use so little.”
This is one student out of many; in a survey conducted with a sample size of 36 individuals, 83.3% reported that they had not/barely used certain learning resources during their stay at UniHigh. These unused materials were not exclusive to one subject, but rather multiple diverse classes, ranging from Humanities, Mathematics, Science and LOTE. Though, the general consensus for most students is the grammar books and science prac books that are found in the booklist for junior grades (year 7-9).
From a teacher standpoint, we were fortunate enough to get an opinion from a staff member in the English department. “I prefer to not use the learning resources provided by the school because it allows me to be more flexible in my teaching. I try to use the provided materials as much as I can, such as when I am away, I have my students use their grammar books.”
One of UniHigh’s values is ‘Diversity’, a term not exclusively referring to its students but also its teachers. Not all teachers are the same and their methods of teaching vary from one-to-another. How the teacher decides to incorporate learning material into their lessons is their decision. For some, having set textbooks and workbooks can constrain their ability to teach with full autonomy.
What about parents and guardians? They are the primary stakeholders and often are the ones funding their children's education. A parent of two UniHigh students was interviewed and asked about the booklist. “It is hard enough taking care of my children as it is. My husband and I both work to cover living expenses and it is a bit annoying to know we are wasting our efforts towards things we do not need.” The mother continues, “Then again, my family are lucky to be able to live in a household where we can still afford certain luxuries. I can’t imagine how this problem could affect lower-income families who may not have that extra money to spare.”
The parent’s opinions opened up to new realisations. The booklist was not something that affected the average middle-class family. Although it may be an inconvenience to the average parent, learning resource prices can be a significant issue for those in low-income households. Luckily schools and the Victorian government provide education aid to those in “serious financial difficulty”. However, what is considered “serious financial difficulty” and would that imply households with only a moderate financial difficulty will be disregarded and marginalised?
So, is the booklist necessary? Yes, it is necessary to some extent, though it is not something you need to use. There is no obligation for students to get their materials from Campion. The booklist outlines the resources that will likely be needed for upcoming year and is there for added convenience. If you are willing to pay a larger sum of money to have buy your books all in one place, then the booklist may be useful. However, if you want to save some money, it is best to use the booklist as a guide and source your materials elsewhere. From student experience, it is best to buy textbooks and calculators second-hand while buying generic things such as exercise books and stationery from stores such as Officeworks.
Regardless of the booklist’s importance, it is not perfect. The booklist does not accurately depict UniHigh’s curriculum which can cause people to buy things they do not use. Students, parents and guardians deserve to know this with complete transparency before purchasing. Perhaps it would be beneficial if students were able to meet their teachers for the upcoming year in their Orientation day so they can understand how they teach and incorporate learning materials into their teaching prior to buying their textbooks and resources. That way, both parties are on the same page.