CRC/C/15/Add.222 page 12 Standard of living 54. The Committee, while noting that the primary responsibility of securing the necessary living conditions for the child lies with the parents, shares the concerns of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights about the increasing level of poverty, the poor living conditions of the majority of the population, the high unemployment rate, the low level of salaries and of social security benefits, and the rampant problem of corruption. The Committee is concerned that such a situation adversely affects the physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development of children. Furthermore, the Committee notes that certain benefits are limited to children and families residing in the capital, Tbilisi. 55. The Committee encourages the State party to implement fully the Poverty Reduction Programme and to take measures to assist parents and others responsible for children by intensifying efforts to combat poverty with a view to improving the standard of living of children and providing material assistance and support programmes, without discrimination based on place of residence, in accordance with article 27 of the Convention. 6. Education, leisure and cultural activities 56. The Committee welcomes the cooperation of the Ministry of Education with international organizations and NGOs and is encouraged by the educational reform being implemented and the significant support received, allowing secondary education to be provided free of charge. The Committee is, however, concerned at the decline in public expenditure on education and the existence of a system of informal payments whereby much of the budget of educational institutions is funded by households. It is also concerned at the lack of data on repetitions, expulsions and dropout rates. Furthermore, it is concerned that education is provided to mentally and physically disabled persons only in residential institutions, and that their number has significantly increased from 1997 to 2000, despite the general decline in the population. 57. The Committee urges the State party, taking into account its general comment No. 1 on the aims of education, pursue its efforts to ensure that all children enjoy the right to education consistent with articles 28 and 29 of the Convention, and that children with disabilities are integrated into the mainstream education in keeping with article 3 of the Convention. It encourages the State party to increase the level of public expenditure on compulsory education and to take measures to put an end to the participation of households in the so-called “school funds”, which may limit the attendance at schools of the most vulnerable children. The State party is further encouraged to collect disaggregated data on students who are expelled, drop out or experience other school-related problems and to provide them with assistance and counselling services. 7. Special protection measures Refugee and internally displaced children 58. The Committee regrets that its recommendations contained in paragraph 55 of its previous concluding observations have not been fully implemented. Furthermore, while noting that there has been no progress in the right of internally displaced persons to return to their homes in safety and dignity, the Committee regrets that the report does not include information