CRC/C/15/Add.196 page 12 (f) Provide adequate support, supervision and training to persons working with these children, including the teaching staff, in mainstream schools; (g) Take measures to remove physical barriers to enable effective access of children with disabilities to schools and other institutions and services in a manner conducive to the child’s achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development. Adolescent health 40. The Committee notes the existence of the State-sponsored ongoing prevention programme on alcoholism and substance abuse, 1997-2002, and welcomes information in the written replies concerning the development of new programmes to address the reproductive health of youths including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. However, the Committee is concerned at the prevailing mental health problems, the high suicide rate, the large number of abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, the increasing number of HIV-infections among injecting drug users and the high number of accidents, and reiterates the concerns expressed by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/1/Add.85, paras. 27-30) where these relate to children. 41. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Strengthen and ensure that these programmes for adolescent health are effectively implemented, including through the provision of adequate resources; (b) Ensure that future measures are formulated with the full participation of adolescents; (c) Ensure that adolescents have access to child-sensitive and confidential counselling services, including mental health; (d) Strengthen efforts in the area of adolescent health education within schools. 6. Education Education 42. The Committee welcomes inclusion of the Convention in the school curriculum, and appreciates the acknowledgment by the State party that there are challenges facing the right to education. In this regard, it shares the concern that more than 5,000 children do not attend school, and repetition and drop-out rates are high. Possible reasons for dropouts include: lack of security from bullying, overcrowded classrooms, poor school environment as a result of diminished extra-curricular activities, overburdened teachers and closure of schools in rural areas for economic reasons.

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