5.3 Healthcare The 1993 Aliens Law guarantees the right to healthcare for stateless persons that are documented and permanently residing in the Kyrgyz Republic similar to nationals. Stateless persons temporarily residing in the country are given treatment similar to foreigners in the same circumstances (Article 9). Since most stateless persons do not have recognized documentation, they reported difficulties receiving medical services. Specifically 25 percent of survey participants in the three districts in the North and similar problems were reported by individuals who attended the assessments in the South, however precise numbers were unavailable. 5.4 Education Equal treatment to nationals before the law is guaranteed for stateless persons to enjoy the right to education (the 1993 Aliens Law, Article 12). The standard provided in national legislation generally complies with the international standard provided in Article 22 of the 1954 Convention. In addition, equal consideration under Kyrgyz law is given to stateless persons not only with respect to elementary education but also to secondary education which represents good legal practice. However, lack of proper documentation prohibits enrolment in institutions of higher education which require valid identification. The survey in the North reported that 70 percent of individuals concerned have completed primary education, nine percent have advanced to secondary school, and three percent have attained higher education. In the South, 94 percent attended school, and six percent did not attend due to financial constraints. There were no reports of any administrative obstacles to attending elementary and secondary schools by the stateless persons surveyed. 6. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, SELF-MANAGEMENT AND SELF-RELIANCE As referred to earlier, the majority of the stateless population co-exist with local communities, and share the same ethnicity, culture and language. As well as have similar social backgrounds and cohabitation patterns with local populations; which have facilitated a much more effortless integration process in the community. Stateless persons who permanently reside in the country may lawfully be employed including in trade, self-employment and any other type of employment, similar to nationals (the 1993 Aliens Law, Article 7). Stateless persons who temporarily reside in the country may enjoy similar employment rights, but have to obtain work permits that are issued by internal affairs bodies (Article 7). Restrictions are only applicable to positions which, according to domestic legislation, are reserved for Kyrgyz nationals (Article 7). Access to employment in Kyrgyzstan legislation is comparable to the international standard on gainful employment contained in the 1954 Convention. However, the practical realization of employment rights under the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic is often subject to possession of valid documents in order to be officially employed in the wage-earning sector. For example, employers require documentation, for bookkeeping and taxation purposes. The main means of employment for those in the North and the South was as agricultural day-labourers on plantations or on self-owned plots. Individuals that attended the sessions in the North underlined that scarce employment opportunities are linked to the general economic situation in the country, but not necessarily to the lack of documentation, while stateless persons in the South referred specifically to the lack of valid and proper documentation as the main obstacle for better employment opportunities. However, the majority of stateless persons present in both sessions reported having a source of income. 79 Small Changes ‫ ـ‬Big Gains: An Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Statelessness in the Kyrgyz Republic