Boarding school in Zhytomyr region lacks rehabilitation programs

The roof in the dining room leaks, the toilet has no separation walls, and the sleeping areas lack space for beds in the boarding school.

As the official website of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights informs, those drawbacks were found out by the monitoring group, which visited the Puhachivsky boarding school in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine. The group involved members of the Commissioner Secretariat’s Department for National Preventive Mechanism Implementation, Regional Coordinator of the Commissioner for Public Relations in Zhytomyr region Petro Hryban and public monitor Oleksiy Kotvytsky.

The residential care facility has defined the group of children, whom the staff conducts educational and correctional activities with. There has been elaborated the basic plan for the pupils, who may be partially trained. This plan includes the development of speech, insight into the environment, and basic mathematical concepts. However, there are no programs for other children, indicating that they are being treated as the hopeless ones. Meanwhile, the international experience shows that rehabilitation measures contribute to socialization of such children.

The domestic problems also exist. There is a need to replace old electric stove and to purchase new, more powerful washing machine. The boarding school also needs a gas stove, as power cuts often occur there. In addition, the roof in the dining room leaks, the toilet has no separation walls, the sleeping areas lack space for beds, some of them are placed end-to-end.

Following the visit, the Commissioner’s response acts will be sent to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration and the management of the Puhachivsky boarding school.

Photos taken from the official website of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights