The CN “OPORA” appeals to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ukrainian Center of Evaluation of Education with a strong request to refute the false information about the number of absent entrants during the testing and the amount of state budget losses associated with ignoring the test in 2011.

Unfortunately, the unaccurate data were released by the Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk and by the Head of UCEE Iryna Zaytseva. At the same time you, the state officials, have incorrectly mentioned the mistake made presumably by the public observers.  OPORA has estimated that the state losses were more than 10 million hryvnias, because 13.55% of entrants signed up to participate in testing and then changed their mind. The total number was received by the observers due to the response to a formal request to UCEE. There is also the certain information in OPORA about the non-appearance in  the context of each subject and territorial unit (region), therefore there can’t be any factual errors that could cause the difference in the figures published by the observers and you during interviews or public statements. After  the elementary calculation of actual non-appearances, based on the data obtained for each of the items from UCEE, the observers have estimated the total number of absent entrants as 128,701, not 106,105 as the Minister stated in the last of the comments. According to information provided by the UCEE, 949,449 people registered on the testing, and only 820,748, or 86, 45% came to the testing centres (ie, the percentage of absence was 13.55%). So, OPORA is curious, why the information released by the Ministry (11%) disagrees with the figures published in the media by Ms. Iryna Zaytseva (18%), and the data that was formally sent by the Center don’t coincide with the data of the observers relaying the important information. 

In addition, OPORA is surprised by the fact that UCEE publically releases the certain price of tests, and in the official responses to the information requests names the other one, that is much higher. For instance, Iryna Zaytseva, the Head of UCEE, repeatedly gave the information to the media about the estimated  losses that are 866,000 UAH and the sum of 10 million, that figure among the public observers, is presumably the untrue information. However, in a letter dated July 12, Ex. № 13-61-12/442, signed by the Head of the UCEE it is written that " an estimated average cost of one test according to the passport program of the budget for 2011, approved by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, is  77.32 UAH ... For the trial testing for 2011 the typical estimate is approved  at the sum of 84 UAH. " There  also clearly stated 13 articles, the cost of one test to the applicant should consist of.

So, even in case of somewhat understated number of truancy, according to published (106 105), and not officially provided data provided by the observers - 128,701, the amount of loss can not be at the level of 865 thousand.  After all, if we multiply 106,105 by the value of the test, which appears in the response to the request of OPORA, ie, 77, 32 UAH., the total losses are 8 million.204 thousands 38 hryvnias and 60 copecks, or 10 times more than the amount declared by the UCEE and broadcasted by the  Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk. If you focus on the number of truancy stated by the observers, the total losses are  9 million 939 thousands 578 hryvnias.and 23 copecks. 

In this situation, OPORA refers to the line ministries and UCEE with a request to stop blaming observers in non-compliance of their information to the real data and finally publish true information. 

For its part, OPORA hopes to reconcile the incident. 

More information: 
Olga Aivazovs’ka 
+38 063 617 97 50