21 December 2015, 13:19
During the consideration of the draft law submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers (No.3628), the Committee members said that it has "openly anti-social character that is why its adoption could lead to a significant worsening of the social situation of children and youth and as a result to a social upheaval in the state."
The Committee members believe that depriving the majority of pupils of the first-fourth grades of the right to free catering, given inability of the majority of parents to pay for this catering, can lead to a significant deterioration of children's health. "In fact, has no justification the proposal of depriving disabled children of the right to free catering during studying in the fifth-eleventh grades because it will force parents to withdraw these children from ordinary schools and transfer them to a home study or to boarding schools," was noted during the discussion.
The Committee members declared misguided a proposal to grant children a number of social benefits envisaged by the laws of Ukraine (free travels to children from large families and children with diagnosed disability connected with the Chornobyl catastrophe, in all kinds of urban, suburban and intercity passenger transport (excluding taxis), 50% discount to large families on subscription fee for the use of house telephone, 50% discount to families having a child with diagnosed disability connected with the Chornobyl catastrophe on rent, housing and utility services, subscription fee for the use of house telephone), only by the decision of a local self-government body at the expense of the local budget, as it will lead to "actual deprivation of these categories of children of the mentioned benefits."
The Committee members opposed the adoption of proposals concerning the abolition of the minimum size of assistance for children to single mothers and the minimum size of the temporary state assistance to a child, having parents whose place of residence or stay is unknown or are hiding from paying maintenance. These minimum sizes are set by the current legislation in the amount of 30% of the subsistence minimum for a child of the corresponding age, which ensures conditions sufficient just for survival of a child.
The Committee also considers dangerous a proposal concerning the suspension of financing of secondary schools, where the number of pupils is less than 25 people at the expense of educational subvention, which in fact means closure of these schools.
According to the Committee members, "implementation of all the above measures will force parents to renounce children or transfer them to boarding schools with full state support, which will deprive children of the right to upbringing in the biological family, and among other things will lead to a significant increase in state expenditures on their maintenance, which is contrary to the proclaimed aim of the draft law regarding economical and efficient use of public funds."
The Committee also considers misguided a proposal on depriving members of national teams, which took part in international competitions, champions and winners of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, of the right to enroll without competition in the state and municipal higher education institutions. "This proposal is directed against talented youth and prominent athletes glorifying our country at international scientific and sports events, and may lead to the loss by Ukraine of a part of its scientific and sports potential," was stressed during the consideration of the draft law.
According to the Committee members, depriving certain categories of citizens (orphans and children deprived of parental care, children with disabilities, family members of killed participants of combat operations, etc.) of the right to enroll without competition in higher education institutions and privileges during the enrollment prevents their normal integration into the society and contradicts the obligations of the state with respect to their support.
The Committee does not support a proposal on transfer of the powers of executive bodies of village, town and city councils on ensuring obtainment of vocational qualification in secondary schools, vocational institutions, and higher education in municipal and state higher educational institutions of I-II levels of accreditation. At that, final provisions of the draft law order regional and Kyiv city state administrations, local self-government bodies to ensure modernization of the network of vocational and higher education institutions of I-II levels of accreditation taking into account the need of their consolidation. The Committee members believe that this proposal will lead to a reduction of the number of these institutions and deprivation of the majority of children of possibility to obtain the necessary qualification, and will contribute to the growth of youth unemployment.