The Human Rights Defender summarized the results of monitoring visits to 8 special schools for child care and protection, a boarding school and an orphanage.
In the establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science, Yerevan Municipality and Shirak Regional Administration the following main issues have been recorded:
- Information on violence against and among children, as well as cases of labor exploitation
- Violations of maintenance and disposal of medication
- Issues with regard to the sanitary-hygienic conditions of kitchens,
- Expired food, as well as cases when children were not supplied with enough fish, dairy products and fruits were revealed
- Cases of overcrowding in the dormitories of the establishments
- Shortcomings have been revealed concerning to admission documents in almost all establishments (for example, there have not been certificates on the necessity of special education, parents’ applications, referrals)
- Isolators for special purposes have been used as storages, and the bedding in isolators were in unacceptable sanitary-hygienic state.
- The activity of a number of establishments does not correspond to the type proscribed for that establishment
- Toilet paper, liquid soap and other sanitary and hygienic items were mostly absent in toilets
- Usually there is no medical staff in the establishments after working hours
- The building conditions are mostly not adapted for children with disabilities
- In some establishments there were no boxes for complaints and no procedures for appeal were envisaged, etc.
Positive developments have also been recorded in separate establishments.
The monitoring results are summarized in accordance with internationally accepted requirements. They have been presented to the competent authorities with concrete recommendations.
The Human Rights Defender will be consistent in addressing all the raised issues.
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