CRC/C/15/Add.118
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educational establishments at all levels, and at the low numbers of children from all minority
groups who enroll at the secondary school level. The Committee is concerned, further, at the
extremely high drop-out rates of girls from primary and secondary education.
43.
The Committee recommends that the State party pursue its efforts to increase the
enrolment levels of all children from minorities in primary and secondary schools, with
special attention to girls in general and children from the Roma minority in particular.
44.
The Committee recognizes the State party’s significant efforts to make primary and
secondary education available in minority languages, but expresses its concern that many
primary and secondary schools are under-resourced and, in particular, that primary and
secondary school education available in minority languages is of a lower standard than that
available in the Macedonian language. The Committee notes, further, the inevitable effect of
poor primary and secondary education in discouraging enrolment, raising the number of children
who drop out and in limiting the numbers of children from minorities who are able to pass
examinations leading to university education.
45.
With reference to articles 2 and 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and
with a view to ensuring an equal standard of educational services in all schools, to
encouraging increased enrolment, to discouraging children from dropping out and to
increasing the numbers of children from minorities who follow higher education, the
Committee recommends that the State party review the allocation of financial and other
resources to all primary and secondary schools, with particular attention to raising the
quality of education in minority language schools. The Committee recommends, in
addition, that the State party consider increasing the numbers of hours of teaching of the
Macedonian language in minority language schools, on a voluntary basis, with a view to
ensuring that children who are minority language speakers are able to participate on a
more equal level with Macedonian-speaking children at higher education levels at which
entrance examinations and teaching are conducted primarily in the Macedonian language.
The Committee suggests further that the curricula in all schools should include a greater
focus on the personal development and vocational training of students and on inter-ethnic
tolerance. The Committee recommends that the State party seek technical assistance from
UNICEF in this regard.
D.7. Special protection measures
(arts. 22, 38, 39, 40, 37 (b)-(d), 32-36)
Administration of juvenile justice: articles 37, 39 and 40
46.
The Committee is concerned at the absence, in the State party report, of information on
principles of judicial sentencing of juveniles and data on the existence and use of alternatives to
imprisonment as a sentencing option for Juvenile Councils.
47.
The Committee recommends that the State party consider relevant reforms of
juvenile justice policy and practice in accordance with articles 37 and 40 and 39 of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the United Nations Standard Minimum
Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations