Ukrainian schools will receive textbooks for children with special educational needs

Children are at the heart of every nation. They are the future that is built on the foundation of knowledge, support and understanding. When talking about children with special educational needs, it is important to remember that their needs are no less important than any other child’s. They deserve attention, special care and resources that allow them to reach their full potential. In the conditions of war, when the country is facing unprecedented challenges, every step in the direction of providing inclusive education takes on special importance.

That is why the news about the start of delivery of textbooks for children with special needs this week was a real ray of light in the darkness. This is not just a book – it is a symbol of the fact that Ukraine is moving forward, despite all the difficulties.

This week, regional book bases of Ukraine began to receive textbooks for children with special educational needs. Lelya Minakova, director of Atlant Publishing House, reported that 72 titles of textbooks will be printed for special schools this year. This is a significant step forward, because for a long time these textbooks were printed according to the residual principle – there were not enough of them, and they often reached schools with a delay. However, this year everything was done to ensure that schools were fully supplied with textbooks already in September.

“Ukraine has finally moved from declarations on the development and support of inclusive education to real steps”, – said Minakova.

The publishing house also produced 11 textbooks for the 7th grade, and 11 more textbooks translated into the languages ​​of national minorities – Romanian, Hungarian and Polish – are currently being printed. The total circulation of textbooks in foreign languages ​​and for children with special needs is more than 300,000 copies.

The organization of this process is complicated by many factors. Small print runs, which often do not exceed 1,000 copies, significantly increase the cost and complicate the printing process, especially in the period when electricity was turned on for only two hours a day. However, despite all the difficulties, the publishing house is confident that it will be able to fulfill the order on time.

Unfortunately, manipulated publications appeared in the mass media comparing the cost of printing textbooks with the cost of printing fiction. Minakova emphasizes that this is an incorrect comparison, because textbooks for schools must meet special sanitary requirements, which significantly affects their cost. Because of these publications, the Ministry of Education ordered a procurement review, although the publisher is confident that all processes were conducted honestly and transparently.

“We have created a modern and high-quality product for children with special educational needs at the European level. If the supply of textbooks is blocked, it will be a shot in the foot of a country that does not care about the rights of national minorities.” – concluded Lelya Minakova.

This situation is a vivid example of how Ukraine not only declares its support for inclusive education, but also takes real steps on this path. At a time when any success costs great effort, every textbook that falls into the hands of a child becomes a symbol of hope and faith in a better future.