Authorities will exempt local elementary school students from textbook fees from this semester, city officials announced yesterday.

Textbook costs during the city's nine-year compulsory education period, exceeding 320 million yuan (US$44.80 million) for this academic year, will be afforded by government's fiscal revenue.

The central government will shoulder more than 54 million yuan and about 268 million yuan will be paid for by the city government.

Students who have already paid for their textbook fees will get the refund, the Shanghai Education Commission said.

Local elementary school students have already been exempted from tuition and ancillary fees. Students in the city now only need to pay 100 yuan in extracurricular activity expenses per semester. Meanwhile, the city will further expand its "textbook recycle" scheme to reduce the use of textbooks and save natural resources.

From next fall semester, elementary students need to recycle their textbooks.

The commission is now working on further management rules about recycled textbook distribution, collection and sterilization.

Yin Houqing, the commission's vice director said: "We are looking at new ways to protect the environment without affecting students' study and safety."