CRC/C/15/Add.119
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the Armenian language may in practice deny full access to education to ethnic and national
minorities. The Committee is also concerned that low wages have forced teachers to offer
private tuition, creating a two-tier system of education.
45.
The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to
allocate the required resources (i.e. human and financial) to improve access to education
for the most vulnerable groups of children; and to ensure that the quality of education is
monitored and guaranteed. The Committee also recommends that the State party
strengthen its educational policies and system in order to establish retention programmes
and vocational training for drop-out students. The Committee recommends that greater
efforts be directed to improving the quality of teacher training programmes, and
improving the school environment. The Committee recommends that the State party pay
due regard to the aims of education laid down in article 29 and consider introducing
human rights, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, into the school
curricula, including at the primary school level. The Committee encourages the State
party to seek assistance from, inter alia, UNICEF, UNESCO and relevant NGOs.
D.8. Special measures of protection
Unaccompanied, asylum seeking and refugee children (art. 22)
46.
While the Committee welcomes the State party’s openness towards refugees from
neighbouring States, it remains concerned at the limited enjoyment of their rights by refugee,
asylum-seeking and unaccompanied children.
47.
The Committee recommends that the State party increase efforts to implement
the 1998 Refugee Law and adopt implementing sub-legislation. Given that the requirement
of housing registration may be a barrier to naturalization for refugees, the Committee
recommends that the State party continue efforts to facilitate naturalization through
de facto residence registration, as well as easing the procedure and eligibility for regular
housing registration. The Committee recommends that the State party establish special
status determination procedures for unaccompanied children, and provide documentation
to legalize stay in Armenia for asylum-seekers. The Committee recommends that the State
party prevent the recruitment of refugees into the military. The Committee recommends
that the State party continue its efforts to teach the Armenian language to refugee children
and to address the trend of school drop-out among refugee adolescents. The Committee
encourages the State party to continue and expand its cooperation with international
agencies such as UNHCR and UNICEF to address the limited health, education and
rehabilitation services available for refugee children, especially those residing in remote
areas.
Children and armed conflict, and their recovery (arts. 38 and 39)
48.
The Committee expresses its concern at the negative impact of recent armed conflicts on
children. In addition, the Committee is concerned about the alleged conscription of young
children into the State party’s armed forces.