NewVision University Logo
Georgian Law Review Logo

Georgian Law Review - Volume 23. 2023

ArticleChild's Right to Education According to the Standard of Reasonable Accommodation - Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
Author(s)Mariam Maisuradze
Pages76-122

Child's Right to Education According to the Standard of Reasonable Accommodation - Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability

Keywords
Disability
Reasonable accommodation standard
Discrimination
Right to education
Abstract

Historically, persons with disabilities have been considered “beneficiaries of assistance” under international law. They have the right to education, without discrimination and based on equal opportunities. Despite the achieved progress, education for many of them is only available in such an environment, which separates them from their peers and provides a relatively low quality of service. Besides, the principles of equality and non-discrimination, taking into account the standard of reasonable accommodation, are not fully integrated into the legislation of Georgia. The lack of enforcement mechanisms and coordination between agencies hinders timely and positive changes in practice. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the norms of Georgian law regulating access to education for children with disabilities, about the standard of reasonable accommodation, as well as to promote improvement of regulation of this institute and establishing uniform case law; The research examines the case law of the Georgian courts as well as of the European Court of Human Rights. In addition, the laws of those countries (Germany, Sweden, Austria) that have relevant experience on the research subject were selected for comparative analysis.

References

1. Abashidze, A., Arganashvili, A., Shvelidze, T., Saldadze, A., Enforcement of Anti-discrimination Legislation to Ensure Equality for Persons with Disabilities, “Partnership for Human Rights” Report (March 2016 - June 2017), Open Society Foundation, Partnership for Human Rights, https://osgf.ge/files/2017/logo/antidiscrimaniuli.pdf;
2. Adeishvili, G., Saghareishvili, M., Zhamurashivli, L., Overview of the Education Sector, Identifying the Challenges of Ethnic Minorities and Socially Vulnerable Groups, Institute for Development of Freedom of
Information, 2022,
https://idfi.ge/public/upload/00_studies/GEO_IDFI_Education_2022.pdf;
3. Broderick, A., Reasonable Accommodation under the CRPD: The Georgian Context, 2017;
4. Cremer, H., Das Recht auf Bildung für Kinder ohne Papiere – Empfehlungen zur Umsetzung,Deutsches Institut für
Menschenrechte,Berlin, 2009;
5. Doek, J. Cantwell, N., The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Guide to the “Travaux Préparatoires”, Detrich, S. ed., Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992;
6. Ferri, D., Lawson, A., Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled People in Employment, European Commission, 2016;
7. Ferri, D., Reasonable Accommodation as a Gateway to the Equal Enjoyment of Human Rights: from New York to Strasbourg, 2018;
8. Gabunia, E., The Child’s Right to Education, Publishing house Universal, 2018;
9. Hodgkin, R., Newell, P., Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 3rd edition, Atar Roto Presse, Geneva, 2007;
10. Kiladze, S. Turava, P., Guidance Commentary on the Code of Child Rights, Tbilisi, Publishing House World of Lawyers, 2021;
11. Kvatchadze, M., Ghvinjilia, E., Jugheli, N., Reflection of International Standards of Prohibition of Discrimination in National Case Law, Department of International Judicial Practice Study and Generalization of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Tbilisi, 2017,
https://www.supremecourt.ge/files/upload-file/pdf/diskriminaciisakrzalvis-saertashoriso-standartebis-asaxva-erovnul-sasamartlopraktikashi.pdf;
12. Oboladze, I., Nadiradze, K., Arganishvili, A., Monitoring of State Programs to Protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Public Defender of Georgia, 2013,
https://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019041016334140593.pdf;
13. Schmahl, S., Kinderrechtskonvention mit Zusatzprotokolle: Handkommentar, 2. Aufl. Nomos, Baden-Baden, 2017;
14. Academic Network of European Disability Experts, Human European Consultancy, Univeristy of Leed, 2007, https://www.disabilityeurope.net/downloads/582-report-on-equality-of-educational-andtraining-opportunities-for-young-disabled-people-sweden;
15. CESCR General Comment No. 5: Persons with Disabilities, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 9 December 1994;
16. Commentary on the Constitution of Georgia, Petite LLC, Tbilisi, 2013;
17. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, General Comment No. 5, 2017 on Living Independently and Being Included in the Community, CRPD/C/GC/5, 2017;
18. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, General Comment No. 4, 2016, Article No. 24;
19. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, General Comment No. 4, 2016, Article No. 24, 1-2, https://www.ombudsman.ge/geo/gaeros-shshm-pirta-uflebebis-komitetis-zogadi-komentarebi;
20. Day of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities During Pandemic, the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia, 14 June 2020,
https://ombudsman.ge/geo/kovid-19/shezghuduli-shesadzleblobis-mkone-pirta-uflebebis-datsvis-dghe-pandemiis-pirobebshi;
21. Enforcement of Anti-Discrimination Laws to Ensure Equality for Persons with Disabilities, Partnership for Human Rights Report, (March 2016-June 2017);
22. European Commision for Democracy through Law (Venice Commision), Report on the Protection of Childrens’ Rights: International Standards and Domestic Constitutions Adopted by the Venice Commission at its 98th Plenary Session (Venice, 21-22 March 2014);
23. Explanatory Note of the Parliament to Draft Law the Code on the Rights of the Child, https://info.parliament.ge/file/1/BillReviewContent/214086;
24. Focus group interview with representatives of non-governmental organizations, Young Lawyers Association, Partnership for Human Rights, Social Justice Center, 11.06.2021;
25. Gender equality profile of the country, UN Women, 2020, 100,
https://georgia.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/Country%20Gender%20Equality%20Profile%20GEO.pdf;
26. General Comment No. 2, Article 9: Accessibility, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2014;
27. General Comment No. 4 on the Right to Inclusive Education, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2016;
28. General Comment No. 6 on Equality and Non-discrimination, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2018;
29. General Proposal of the Public Defender of Georgia on the Issue of Preventing and Fighting Against Discrimination, to the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, December 23, 2016;
30. Implementation Practice of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in EU countries, Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) and Open Society Foundation Georgia, 2013, https://socialjustice.org.ge/ka/products/shezghuduli-shesadzleblobis-mkone-pirta-uflebebis-konventsiis-implementatsiis-praktikaevrokavshiris-kveqnebshi;
31. Initial Report Sweden on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, January 2011;
32. Interview with representatives of the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia, focus group with civil organizations working on the issues of issues of persons with disabilities, 11.06.2021, https://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019061419175345379.pdf;
33. Marie-Louise Jungelin v. Sweden, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2 October 2014;
34. News of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia 23.09.2022,
https://www.mes.gov.ge/content.php?id=13158&lang=geo&fbclid=IwAR3AiTnzUNapN6qSZd6rv5pjvNI4TAE9hMa-DjvCy16hNWGmS63n0y-IyHw;
35. On rights according to the UN Convention: Georgian Reality, 2017;
36. Parliamentary Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on the Situation of Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Tbilisi, 2018,
http://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019042620571319466.pdf;
37. Reasonable Accommodation Beyond Disability in Europe? European Commission (2013),
https://tandis.odihr.pl/bitstream/20.500.12389/21768/1/07881.pdf;
38. Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled People in Employment Contexts, European Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and Nondiscrimination, European Commission, 2016;
39. Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities in Employment Relationships, Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), 2019;
40. Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2006) 5, https://rm.coe.int/1680595206;
41. Report of Sweden on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, January 2011, https://regeringen.se/contentassets/2cb458dc109d4b85be427b0972a8f35e/swedens-initial-report-under-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities;
42. Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on the Situation of Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia, 2013;
43. Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on the Situation of Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia, 2010;
44. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (theme: disability-inclusive policies), A/71/314, 2016;
45. Situation Analysis of the Rights of People with Disabilities in Georgia, the publication was produced with support from the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPDMPTF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Tbilisi, 2021, https://www.undp.org/ka/georgia/publications/disability-rights-georgia;
46. The Concept of Reasonable Accommodation in Selected National Disability Legislation, Background Conference Document prepared by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Seventh Session New York, 2006;
47. The Ministry of Education and Science held a conference on the topic “The role of the multidisciplinary team in the development of inclusive education”. 21 December 2015, http://inclusion.ge/geo/news/show/27/97;
48. The Swedish Disability Movement ́s Alternative Report on UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Swedish Disability Federation, 2006, 15, https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/docs/info-ngos/DisabilitiesFederation_Sweden39.pdf;
49. Thematic Study on the Right of Persons with Disabilities to Education, A/HRC/25/29, par. 3, https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/25/29;
50. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Equality and Non-Discrimination in Article 5 of the CRPD, UNO, A/HRC/34/26, 2010;
51. United Nations standards on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD), Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, 2020,
https://gyla.ge/files/news/აასოციაციაბისშესახებგაეროს.pdf;
52. 2019 Law No. 5004-IS, the Code on the Rights of the Child,
ttps://matsne.gov.ge/document/view/4613854?publication=2;
53. No. 1139 Law of 1997, On Health Care, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/29980?publication=50;
54. No. 1330 Law of 2005 On General Education, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/29248;
55. No. 161 Law of 1984 Administrative Offences Code of Georgia,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/28216?publication=532;
56. No. 1958-IIS Law of 2014 Local Self-Government Code, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2244429?publication=67;
57. No. 2181 Law of 1999 General Administrative Code https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/16270?publication=43;
58. No. 2391-IIS Law of 2014 Law on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2339687?publication=3;
59. No. 3213-RS Law of 2018, Code of Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities of Georgia, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4276845?publication=21;
60. No. 4113-RS Organic Law of 2010 Labour Code of Georgia
https://matsne.gov.ge/document/view/1155567?publication=23;
61. No. 6823-RS Law of 2020, Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4923984?publication=1;
62. No. 786 Constitutional Law of 1995 Constitution of Georgia,
https://matsne.gov.ge/document/view/30346?publication=36;
63. 2010-2012 Government Plan for Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities, approved by Government Decree No. 978 of December 15, 2009;
64. Convention on the Rights of the Child https://www.unicef.org/childrights-convention/convention-text;
65. Government Ordinance No. 41 of January 6, 2014 Technical Regulation of Spatial Planning and Architectural and Planning Elements for Persons with Disabilities;
66. Instruction on the Procedure for Determining the Status of Disability approved by Order No. 1/n of 13 January 2003 of the Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, https://www.matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/55024?publication=14;
67. No. 756 Law of 1995 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/30316?publication=11;
68. Order No. 36/N of the Minister of Education and Science of March 11, 2011 on the Approval of the National Curriculum, https://mes.gov.ge/content.php?id=193&module=legislation&page=detals&leg_id=1344;
69. The 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2334289?publication=0;
70. The 2022 state program of social rehabilitation and child care, subprogram of day care centers, approved by Government Ordinance No. 634 of December 31, 2021, https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/5343874?publication=5;
71. The List of Necessary Documents to be Submitted for Enrolling a Pupil in a General Educational Institution of Georgia, approved by No. 675 order of August 16, 2007 of the Minister of Education and
Science,
https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/72598?publication=11;
72. Catan and Others v. the Republic of Moldova and Russia [GC] - 43370/04, 8252/05 and 18454/06;
73. Enver Sahin v. Turkey, European Court of Human Rights, Application No. 23065/12, 02/07/2018;
74. Çam v. Turkey, No. 51500/08, May 23, ECHR 2016;
75. Decision of Batumi City Court of March 14, 2016, in case No. 2/2054-2015;
76. Decision of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal of November 3, 2016, in case No. 2b/4067-16;
77. Decision of the Chamber for Administrative Cases of the Tbilisi Court of Appeal of February 14, 2023, in case No. 3B/878-22;
78. Decision of the Tbilisi City Court of May 24, 2016, in case No. 2/56-16.
79. Justice Eva Gotsiridze's dissenting opinion on the judgment on the constitutional lawsuit No. 811;
80. No. 1/1/493 Judgment of the Constitutional Court of December 27, 2010, in the case Political Unions of Citizens: “New Rightists” and “Conservative Party of Georgia” v. the Parliament of Georgia;
81. No. 2/1/536 Judgment of February 4, 2014 of the Constitutional Court in the case of Georgian citizens - Levan Asatiani, Irakli Vatcharadze, Levan Berianidze, Beka Buchashvili and Gocha Gabodze v. the Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia";
82. Judgment of December 12, 2014, of the Constitutional Court of Georgia in case No. 2/3/540. Oganes Darbinian, Rudolf Darbinian, Sussanna Jamkotsian, and Citizens of Armenia – Milena Barseghian and Lena Barseghian v. the Parliament of Georgia.;
83. http://inclusion.ge/geo/news/show/27/97;
84. https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/1208370?publication=0;
85. https://myrights.gov.ge/ka/documents/action%20plans%201;
86. https://myrights.gov.ge/ka/documents/documents/strategy;
87. https://recht.nrw.de/lmi/owa/br_text_anzeigen?v_id=10000000000000000654;
88. https://www.do.se/choose-language/english/discrimination-act-2008567;
89. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/;
90. https://www.matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4007539?publication=1;
91. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/standard-rules-equalization-opportunities-persons-disabilities;
92. https://www.ohchr.org/en/resources/educators/human-rights-education-training/9-world-declaration-education-all-1990;
93. https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/crc;
94. https://www.right-to-education.org/resource/salamanca-statementand-framework-action-special-needs-education;
95. https://www.supremecourt.ge/files/upload-file/pdf/aqtebi3.pdf.