El Defensor del Menor abre actuación de oficio sobre las medidas acordadas para el reinicio del curso escolar

Date of article: 30/07/2020

Daily News of: 31/07/2020

Country:  Spain - Andalucia

Author:

Article language: es

El Defensor del Menor de Andalucía, Jesús Maeztu, ha abierto una queja de oficio en la que solicita a la Consejería de Educación y Deporte que se clarifiquen las medidas adoptadas para el reinicio del curso escolar previsto para septiembre “y se dé certidumbre en el reparto de recursos de los que van a disponer los equipos directivos para poder cumplir con las medidas sanitarias ante la crisis del COVID-19”.

Para el Defensor del Menor de Andalucía, no se deben escatimar recursos en la educación, tanto en el escenario previsto, como en el que puede acontecer, con el objetivo de que no vuelvan a repetirse los problemas que se dieron tras el impacto de la pandemia, con efectos devastadores para la educación como consecuencia de la brecha digital. Asimismo, el también Defensor del Pueblo andaluz ha reclamado especial atención hacia los recursos disponibles para la educación compensatoria y la educación especial.

Ante esta situación, el también Defensor del Pueblo andaluz ha reclamado consenso en las soluciones; coordinación entre la Administración educativa, los ayuntamientos y los docentes; y generosidad a todos, “para entender cuáles son las soluciones que requiere la vuelta al colegio en la situación más normal, ante una crisis sanitaria que es tan compleja”.

Ante las quejas que ha recibido la Institución, el Defensor del Menor de Andalucía ha abierto esta actuación de oficio dirigida a la Consejería andaluza de Educación y Deporte en la que, en concreto, se interesa en conocer, en primer lugar, las iniciativas adoptadas, en su caso, por la Consejería educativa fin de promover actividades de clarificación de las instrucciones dictadas entre los profesionales destinatarios; en segundo lugar, los dispositivos o canales de consulta y apoyo en la adopción de los criterios organizativos para los centros y, por último, la asignación específica por centro del repertorio de medios de refuerzo personal y material anunciados.

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COVID-19 ‘new normal’ should also safeguard fundamental rights

Date of article: 30/07/2020

Daily News of: 31/07/2020

Country:  EUROPE

Author:

Article language: en

“Wholesale constraints on our lives are easing as we better learn to live with COVID-19,” says FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. “We must acknowledge how frontline workers, courts, national bodies, civil society worked tirelessly to promote and protect fundamental rights during the pandemic. This work should not stop here. We need to continue to build on their efforts in the ‘new normal’ to respect and advance fundamental rights for all.”

This fourth FRA Bulletin on the Coronavirus pandemic in the EU: fundamental rights implications looks at how EU Member States tackle the pandemic and the impact on fundamental rights:

  1. States of emergency: Many governments continue to lift states of emergency or equivalent to manage the pandemic but they often extend or impose other crisis measures. Courts, national human rights bodies and civil society organisations continue to question the legality of fundamental rights restrictions.
  2. Daily life: Although governments gradually eased restrictions, all EU governments maintain physical distancing measures. These include wearing of masks in some places and stay-at-home orders for COVID-19 sufferers.

As Member States reopen schools and plan for the next school year, various assessments underline how children from disadvantaged backgrounds lack equipment and support for distance learning.

With many people working again, studies point to the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women when it comes to work-life balance and caring responsibilities.

Judicial systems also continue to return to normal. They tried to clear case backlogs through longer hours or more staff. Many still use video hearings for some cases.

Member States continue to ease temporary controls at their internal borders and restrict travel to the EU in line with EU recommendations.

  1. Vulnerable groups: COVID-19 measures continue to affect some groups more.

Restrictions eased for older people and people with disabilities in institutions. But sometimes visiting guidelines are too complex or restrictions are over-implemented or disproportionate leading to greater stress and loneliness.

Some Member States run initiatives to counter the impact on Roma communities, such as educational programmes or access to information and healthcare.

Some also support victims of rising domestic violence, by opening new shelters, support networks and more funding to better protect victims. (...)

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Non-discrimination must be ensured for persons with disabilities when arranging matriculation examinations

Date of article: 23/07/2020

Daily News of: 31/07/2020

Country:  Finland

Author:

Article language: en

n his decision, Mikko Sarja, the substitute for a Deputy Ombudsman, assessed the conduct of the Matriculation Examination Board concerning the arrangements of the matriculation examination to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities. He suggests that the Matriculation Examination Board should improve their guidelines to ensure that persons with disabilities can be reasonably accommodated if they need it. 

The substitute for a Deputy Ombudsman believes that the conduct of the Matriculation Examination Board to ensure the accessibility of examinations to as many students as possible deserves recognition. However, he considered the instructions of the committee to be problematic in some respects. According to the substitute for a Deputy Ombudsman, the aim of improving the guidelines should be that the range of measures of reasonable accommodation should not be limited in advance more than what is strictly necessary, given the case-by-case nature and individual assessment that are typical for reasonable accommodation.

The full text of Substitute for a Deputy-Ombudsman Mikko Sarja’s decision no 2356/2019 has been published (in Finnish) on the Parliamentary Ombudsman's website at www.oikeusasiamies.fi.

Further information is available from Senior Legal Advisor Kristiina Kouros, tel. +358 9 432 3396.

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Report of the European Ombudsman closing query Q4/2020/MHZ from the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia concerning the right to access basic banking services, such as a basic bank account and payment facilities, notably where an individual is unable to comply with the provisions of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive

Date of article: 29/07/2020

Daily News of: 29/07/2020

Country:  EUROPE

Author:

Article language: en

Report of the European Ombudsman closing query Q4/2020/MHZ from the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia concerning the right to access basic banking services, such as a basic bank account and payment facilities, notably where an individual is unable to comply with the provisions of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive

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Bürgerbeauftragter als Lotse - lange Verfahrensdauer ist Fall für den Petitionsausschuss

Date of article: 27/07/2020

Daily News of: 29/07/2020

Country:  Germany - Thuringia

Author:

Article language: de

Eine verworrene Aktenlage, abschlägige Bescheide, laufende Gerichtsverfahren, strittige Zuständigkeiten und verzweifelte Bürger – keine Seltenheit für das Team des Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragten. Dann gilt es zunächst, die komplizierte Gemengelage aufzulösen und zu schauen, wo und wie Hilfe geleistet werden kann.

Bei einem Bürger, der eine ganze Reihe Unterlagen mitgebracht hatte, konnte der Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragte, Dr. Kurt Herzberg, das Akten-Dickicht nur schrittweise lichten. Der Betroffene hatte zunächst befristet Erwerbsminderungsrente erhalten, wurde jedoch von der Rentenversicherung aufgefordert, eine Reha-Maßnahme zu beginnen, um seine Erwerbsfähigkeit wieder herzustellen. Doch die gleiche Rentenversicherung, die ihn dazu aufgefordert hatte, lehnte die Kostenübernahme für eine Reha ab – zuständig sei die Krankenkasse. Doch auch die Krankenkasse lehnte ab, mit der Begründung, der Mann sei nicht krank, sondern erwerbsgemindert und damit sei wiederum die Rentenversicherung zuständig. Es folgten ein Vergleichsurteil des Sozialgerichts, die Kostenübernahmezusage für die Reha-Maßnahme und ein Betroffener, der die Reha aufgrund erneuter schwerer Krankheit zunächst nicht antreten konnte. Da er die Reha nicht antrat, wurde ihm mangelnde Mitwirkung unterstellt und damit wiederum weitere Leistungen versagt. Nach einer weiteren Gerichtsbefassung und der daraufhin zunächst erfolgreich abgeschlossenen Reha-Maßnahme erfolgte wiederum: nichts. Keine Entscheidung, ob, woher oder gar wieviel finanzielle Unterstützung gewährt werden könne.

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