CRC/C/15/Add.233
page 11
52.
The Committee recommends that the State party allocate financial and human
resources in order:
(a)
To put special emphasis on the elimination of illiteracy;
(b)
To promote pre-school, primary and secondary education with a view to
universal coverage;
(c)
To pay special attention to the needs of vulnerable children, e.g. girls,
indigenous and refugee children, working and street children, in order to fulfil their basic
right to education;
(d)
To upgrade the infrastructure of the educational system (building more
schools, improving existing schools, upgrading training, paying teachers an adequate wage,
adopting interactive learning methods to fight school dropout and repetition); and
(e)
To offer more facilities for non-formal learning and vocational training,
including for children who have not completed primary and secondary education.
8. Special protection measures
Refugee and asylum-seeking children
53.
The Committee welcomes the ratification of the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol
relating to the Status of Refugees and the State party’s cooperation with UNHCR. The
Committee is concerned about the lack of information on the situation of refugee and
asylum-seeking children and on the implementation of and follow-up to its previous
recommendations.
54.
The Committee reiterates its recommendation that the State party ensure adequate
protection of refugee children, including in the fields of education, health and social
services, and cooperate in a constructive and effective manner with UNHCR in this regard.
55.
The Committee recommends that the State party take action to regularize the
situation of those children of Colombians under temporary protection in Darien who were
born in Panama and to facilitate their naturalization. It also recommends full respect for
the principle of non-refoulement and, whenever deportations are permissible under
international law, that they be carried out in such a way as to avoid separating children
from their parents. The State party should consider revising the current practice of
restricting the freedom of movement of those Colombians under temporary protection,
especially the young people.
Economic exploitation, including child labour
56.
The Committee welcomes the efforts made by the State party to reduce child labour and
the ratification of ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182. The Committee remains concerned
about the high number of children involved in labour, mainly as domestic and rural workers (in
sugar cane plantations), and that the State party has not adequately enforced child labour
provisions.