A/HRC/20/21 80. Public authorities should ensure monitoring and accountability in all situations where standards are not met. If standards are to be effectively implemented, the concerned stakeholders, including teaching personnel, parents and pupils, must be aware of them and actively involved in compliance. 81. Prevalent teacher absenteeism bears evidence to the slackness regarding the inspection of schools. Public authorities should tighten monitoring and inspection in order to control this lacuna with disciplinary measures. Some additional aspects deserve special consideration in quality inspections, such as: (i) the way human rights values are promoted in schools; (ii) the overall interaction with parents and the community; (iii) the promotion of dialogue with teachers on child-friendly teaching and learning. VIII. Challenges in implementing norms and standards for quality in education A. Promoting quality in education and ensuring equality of opportunities 82. Quality in education is inextricably linked with equality of opportunities. Challenges are huge in this regard, as overall socio-economic inequalities between rich and poor are rampant, both within and among countries. These inequalities are reflected in persistent quality disparities in education provided to different segments of the population. Thus, one of the main objectives of education systems should be “to ensure quality education, with equal opportunities,” as affirmed by the National Education Law in Argentina.69 83. Quality education will remain elusive so long as education systems practise marginalization and exclusion. Bringing about de facto equality of opportunity in education necessitates an equity-based approach to education. Through education laws and policy, States need to give particular consideration to the educational needs of economically and socially marginalized groups, such as those living in poverty, ethnic and linguistic minorities, children with disabilities and indigenous children. In this regard, Human Rights Council resolution 17/3 urges States to give full effect to the right to education by ensuring adequate legal protection and addressing multiple forms of inequality and discrimination in education through comprehensive policies. An example of an inclusive approach is provided by Spain‟s Organic Education Law (2006), which centers around the fundamental principle of quality of education for all students, combined with equity and equal opportunities.70 84. In this context, attention must be paid to ensure that the adoption of quality standards for education does not further penalize schools in poorer and marginalized neighbourhoods. National or international assessment of students‟ performance, for example, should not adversely affect the fate of students and schools in marginalized pockets of society.71 Some ranking exercises might result in favouring well-served schools in wealthier areas and reinforcing stigmatization of schools in poorer areas. Such exercises 69 70 71 Law No. 26.206 (art. 11). See A Quality Education for All and Shared by All, Spain, Ministry of Education and Science, 2004. In the United States of America, under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools are judged on whether they make adequate yearly progress (AYP) according to results of standardized tests in key subjects such as reading and language, arts, maths. Each state then publishes this information for parents and other interested stakeholders, on a school-by-school and district-by-district basis. 19