E/C.12/RUS/CO/6
Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 22 (2016) on the right to
sexual and reproductive health.
Right to education
56.
The Committee notes the progress made in increasing access to quality education by
the general population and the substantial level of public spending on education. The
Committee remains, however, concerned about the:
(a)
Persistence of regional and rural/urban disparities in school enrolment,
attributed to uneven distribution of resource allocations;
(b)
High number of children with disabilities attending special schools or out of
school, and the absence of reasonable accommodations to facilitate children’s access to
inclusive education;
(c)
Instances of harassment in schools, including against lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender children or children of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender families;
(d)
Instances of obstacles faced by child asylum seekers and child refugees in
access to education owing to a lack of identity or registration documents;
(e)
Continuing practice of placing Roma children in special classes or special
schools, coupled with limited access to quality education and high dropout rates, especially
at secondary school level (arts. 13 and 14).
57.
The Committee recommends that the State party pursue its efforts towards
achieving universal access to quality education. In doing so, the State party should
ensure just and fair distribution of resources across the regions and pay particular
attention to rural areas. The Committee also recommends that the State party:
(a)
Take effective measures to facilitate access by children with disabilities
to inclusive education, including by allocating resources for the provision of
reasonable accommodation and any additional support needed, and training teachers;
(b)
Implement a zero-tolerance policy against harassment in schools, paying
particular attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender children or children of
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender families, and ensure effective protection of
victims of bullying and their families;
(c)
Take steps to ensure that admission to school is not subject to
administrative conditions, and draw the attention of school principals to the ruling of
the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, according to which the absence of
registration cannot serve as the basis for non-admission to school;
(d)
Put an end to de facto school segregation of Roma children, and take
effective and targeted measures to increase access to quality education by all Roma
children with a view also to raising the secondary school completion rate by Roma
children;
(e)
Take into account the Committee’s general comment No. 13 (1999) on
the right to education.
Cultural rights
58.
The Committee is concerned about the risk of extinction of many indigenous
languages. It is also concerned at arbitrary restrictions imposed on indigenous peoples’
means of livelihood, such as hunting and fishing (art. 15).
59.
The Committee recommends that the State party step up its efforts to promote
and preserve indigenous languages. The Committee also recommends that the State
party repeal or amend any restrictions that could result in hampering indigenous
peoples from sustaining their means of livelihood, including hunting and fishing.
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