3900 UAH for a school textbook: the new reality of Ukrainian education
9 June 12:35
Between May 7 and May 21, the State Scientific Institution “Institute for Modernization of Education Content” of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine signed contracts for the printing of eighth grade textbooks without conducting any trading procedures. The total value of these agreements amounted to UAH 1.06 billion, and the work should be completed by August. Information about these contracts is available in the public procurement system Prozorro, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Nashi Hroshi.
More than half of the total amount was distributed among three main suppliers:
- Ranok Publishing House LLC received the largest contract worth UAH 242.34 million;
- Geniza LLC signed agreements worth UAH 235.63 million;
- Aston Publishing House LLC – for UAH 103.08 million.
“Ukrainian Language for UAH 3,900
The textbook of the integrated course “Ukrainian Language, Ukrainian and Foreign Literature“, which consists of two parts and is published by Ranok Publishing House, was the most expensive. This textbook has a small circulation – each part is printed in a run of only 481 copies. The cost of one copy is UAH 3,900 for each part of 240 pages.
Of this price, 2,081 hryvnias are directly attributable to printing costs. The rest of the money is allocated to general publishing and editorial expenses, author’s remuneration, artwork, paper, cardboard, film, and the government-allowed five percent profit margin.
This textbook is not yet available on the customer’s official website. For comparison, we can consider a similar textbook by the same authors, intended for the seventh grade, which also consists of two parts and has an electronic interactive application. In April 2024, this textbook was ordered from the Ranok publishing house in a much smaller edition – 209 copies at a price of UAH 3,976 for each copy of 240 pages. Printing costs accounted for only 235 hryvnias, while the largest share of the funds went to general publishing costs, artwork, and author’s remuneration. General publishing expenses include, among other things, electricity costs.
It is important to note that in May 2024, a Russian missile strike completely destroyed the Kharkiv-based Factor Printing House, which served many publishing houses. The Ranok publishing house reported at the time that a significant number of their books, including textbooks, were destroyed as a result of the strike. In June 2024, representatives of the book industry explained in an interview with Ekonomichna Pravda that the shelling of Kharkiv, power outages, and a shortage of workers were leading to longer printing queues. Nevertheless, the city remains an indispensable printing center for publishers, as it has the largest production capacity in Ukraine in this area.
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Price ranking
Other high positions in the price ranking are occupied by small-circulation textbooks in foreign languages. The most expensive among them is the textbook “Polish Language” for schools with Polish language instruction, published by the State Enterprise “All-Ukrainian Specialized Publishing House “Svit”. The circulation of this textbook is 220 copies. One copy of 240 pages costs 2,503 hryvnias. Of this amount, only 306 hryvnias are for printing costs, while the largest share is for general publishing costs and author’s remuneration.
On the contrary, the lowest cost is for textbooks with large circulation. For example, the textbook “Civic Education ” from LLC “Publishing House “Osvita” is printed in 217,591 copies at a price of 58 UAH for each. The textbook “Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy ” by Svitich Publishing House LLC is published in 52,740 copies at UAH 59 per copy.
The tender procedures were conducted without bidding, as these publishing houses have exclusive property rights to the ordered textbooks. The list of these textbooks is approved by the Ministry of Education and Science based on the results of a competitive selection.
Who ordered the books
The founders of the Kharkiv-based Ranok Publishing House are Viktor Kruglov and Osnova Publishing Group LLC. The latter company was founded by Inna Hryshyna and Triada Print LLC. The owners of Triada Print LLC are Zaza Dzhedzheya, the same Viktor Kruglov, and Vesta LLC, which is owned by Viktor Kruglov and Dmytro Tomashko.
Kyiv-based Genesis Publishing House is owned by four people: Oleksiy Dubas, Viktor Yezlovetsky, Oleh Furman and Vladlen Matsenko. The director of this publishing house is Mykola Chayun.
Ivan Bilakh is the founder and director of the Ternopil-based Aston Publishing House.
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