140 MONITORING OF CUSTODIAL SETTINGS IN UKRAINE RESPONSE ACTION OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF UKRAINE ON THE OMBUDSMAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS In order to eliminate the revealed shortcomings and to bring the regulations in conformity with the respective standards the disciplinary battalion is presently conducting repair works that, according to the Military Police Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are scheduled to end in February 2013. RESPONSE ACTION OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, YOUTH AND SPORTS (MESYS) OF UKRAINE ON THE OMBUDSMAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS The Ombudsman’s Office sent a number of letters to MESYS with proposals regarding elimination of problems identified during visits to this agency’s institutions. The response letters contained information about “elimination of shortcomings identified during visits of boarding schools” although, as a rule, elimination of shortcomings implied nothing but arrangements for freely accessible information boards and boxes for complaints and suggestions. Analysis of letters from MESYS gives grounds to conclude that no real inspections took place and that the agency’s replies were largely based on information from local educational authorities. Specifically, information about violation of the orphaned and parentless children’s right to freedom of religion and their protection from proselytism did not entail any check on the actions of the director of that institution who, acting as a guardian of such children, initiates them to his own religion. The children are allowed to decorate the walls of their rooms only with icons – even their mothers’ photos are forbidden. Since this school has good conditions for resident children the Ministry decided not to bother itself with any check-up regarding “such trifle” and limited itself to providing information about an experiment with regard to “social and spiritual personality development in the boarding school environment” and relevant consent of the children’s parents or guardians. Regrettably, a part of other proposals on elimination of other violations of the rights of the child did not generate any action in response – in particular, on the issue that social rehabilitation schools of general education hold minors institutionalized by court rulings and, simultaneously, those referred by educational authorities to psychological and pedagogical correction centers for children with deviant behaviors, or on the matter of perusal of letters.