You might be familiar with FairPrice's annual Share-A-Textbook donation drive, a staple community project which collects and redistributes pre-loved textbooks to students in Singapore, especially those in need.

This year, however, the need for donations may be even greater, given that everything is getting more expensive in Singapore — textbooks included.

The Straits Times had reported in January that the prices of textbooks for primary and secondary school students went up by seven per cent at the start of 2023.

It comes as no surprise then, that many Singaporeans are considering using second-hand textbooks.

In a survey conducted by FairPrice Group in September, seven in 10 respondents said that they were considering using second-hand textbooks, in order to reduce expenses and help ease financial burdens.

More than half of the respondents said that they expected to save between S$100 and S$299 per year just by using second-hand textbooks.

Aside from textbooks, there is a demand for supplementary educational materials as well.

86 per cent of respondents in the September survey said their most requested education materials are assessment books, revision guides, and past exam papers, followed by MOE-approved mathematics, mother-tongue and English textbooks.

For donors, this means that aside from textbooks, they can also drop off these supplementary materials at the donation drive.

FairPrice's annual Share-A-Textbook drive

FairPrice's Share-A-Textbook donation drive is currently open and it will run until Nov. 30, 2023.

You can find the list of MOE-approved textbooks here.

Donors can drop off their books at any FairPrice store islandwide.

This includes FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets, FairPrice Finest stores, Warehouse Club, and FairPrice Xpress outlets at Esso service stations.

Across Singapore, there are a total of 177 outlets where you can drop off the books you want to donate.

Moderating the cost of students' education

FairPrice Group will be partnering with charity =DREAMS to collect, sort and distribute the donated items to student beneficiaries.

Alvin Neo, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, FairPrice Group noted that access to education is at the heart of Singapore’s system of meritocracy, and that all students are entitled to a fruitful education on equal footing.

"This is what we aim to help support through Share-A-Textbook, and our guiding mission of moderating the cost of living for all in Singapore," he added.

More about the programme

Since the project was launched in 1982, FairPrice’s Share-A-Textbook has collected and redistributed over 6.8 million textbooks.

Last year's iteration reportedly channeled over 700,000 used textbooks to needy students.

You can check out what the collection and distribution processes look like in this CNA clip:

For more information on the donation drive, you can visit their website.

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Top image from NTUC Fairprice on Facebook.