YEREVAN, September 2. /ARKA/. The Armenian government’s plan to close down boarding schools is fraught with serious violations of children's rights, the head of the National Pedagogical and Psychological Center Armine Davtyan stated at a press conference today.

She said the closure of boarding schools and handing the children down to the full custody of their families should be carried out in stages. 'If the process is forced, the children may find themselves in difficult social conditions, which will also affect their psyche. The promised monitoring of the families cannot guarantee their safety and care in families which suffer from social and other problems," she said.

She said although the rights of the child to the family are enshrined in the Constitution, there are no guarantees that the child will  receive care in the family, and the money the government gives the family  for it will be spent as intended.

“After classes in boarding schools the child is under guardianship, but if the schools are liquidated, the child may end up on the street or in conditions that would injure their psyche. It will be especially difficult for children with physical disabilities if they are not accepted in their own family," said Davtyan.
According to Armine Davtyan, difficulties in the family can lead to increased child vagrancy, as well as increased crime among children and serious mental disorders.

She said special boarding schools must be preserved for those children whose residence in their own families is completely impossible. According to her, the state should develop new criteria for admission to boarding schools, based on the observance of children's rights, especially guarantees of their safety, education and care.

"It is clear that the actions of the government should be aimed at maintaining a healthy and strong family, but in cases where the safety of children and their rights are violated, strict measures must be taken," Davtyan said. –0-