A/HRC/38/32/Add.1 31. Another concern raised by the management team of the Qur’anic school was that some qualifications awarded in Arab countries were not recognized by the State. The fact that persons seeking permission to run a school must submit an application in French also poses a problem. In order to tackle this problem, the Special Rapporteur suggested establishing links with universities with a view to setting up university departments that cater for both academic and religious education. 32. The Special Rapporteur noted that there was a good gender balance in the lower classes of the primary schools that she visited but that the balance shifted in the upper classes, as the number of girls decreased. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to continue implementing incentive measures to ensure that girls successfully complete their education at the Qur’anic schools that are being modernized (209 schools, out of 1,117 that applied). B. Technical education and vocational training 33. In Côte d’Ivoire and in the subregion more generally, traditional apprenticeships are one of the most common types of training undertaken by young people who have left school. In many cases, however, such apprenticeships are lengthy and may not lead to the acquisition of skills or a qualification. Steps are therefore being taken to improve the quality of apprenticeships by setting up dual apprenticeship systems. 3 34. The Youth Employment and Skills Development Project includes, among other components, an apprenticeship programme, which is being implemented by the National Agency for Vocational Training. Under this dual apprenticeship scheme, young persons aged 18 to 24 years old are placed with companies for an apprenticeship that lasts between one and two years. They are given practical in-house training, guidance from an apprenticeship advisor and the opportunity to participate in theoretical training courses. They also receive a monthly stipend of CFAF 30,000 and insurance coverage. 35. The Special Rapporteur notes with interest that one of the aims of the Government’s 2017–2020 Technical Education and Vocational Training Strategy is to raise the standard of training centre facilities. As of 2020, technical education and vocational training will be rolled out more widely. The Government also plans to set up training programmes for instructors, with support from other States. 36. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes the importance of successful collaboration between the ministries responsible for education and the various sectors of production, in order to build bridges between primary education, secondary education, vocational training and employment. Good coordination with the Ministry for Youth Development, Youth Employment and Civic Service is also necessary. 37. The Special Rapporteur was informed that there are training and education establishments for women. These were the first schools for women to be set up in Côte d’Ivoire. They have been providing training for Ivorian women since 1958. Students at these establishments can go on to complete vocational training. There are currently 118 of these schools, with others being built around the country; they contribute to the empowerment of women, although their courses increasingly cater for men as well. The Government has expressed its intention to reform these institutes by modernizing them and by setting up new courses in fields such as entrepreneurship. C. Higher education 38. There are six public universities in Côte d’Ivoire. Each year, 500,000 students leave secondary school and enter university; there are not enough places at public universities, so 3 GE.18-06824 Report on the short-term impacts of dual apprenticeships on young people and businesses: assessment of the apprenticeship component of the Youth Employment and Skills Development Project, Côte d’Ivoire, 25 July 2017. 7