A/HRC/44/39/Add.1 81. Moreover, girls do not have access to technical secondary schools or science and technological schools, as they are for boys only.13 Accessing specific programmes 82. The Special Rapporteur was informed that human rights education started in public schools in 2009/10, through specific subjects such as social sciences, Islamic studies, values of education and family culture. It has yet to be fully mainstreamed in school curricula. A memorandum of cooperation was signed to that end in October 2019 with the National Human Rights Committee. The Government has adopted a new guide on human rights education, to be disseminated in January 2020, to assist teachers in developing diverse activities in the various subjects. The Special Rapporteur regrets that the guide and the obligation to teach human rights education applies only to public schools. She notes with interest other important activities, such as the national Right to Education Campaign (November 2018–April 2019), which included debates, film screenings, art exhibitions and workshops in schools, colleges and universities. 83. A teachers’ guide has also been developed in the area of sexual and reproductive health education to inform children, within the framework of Islamic values and depending on their age, about such issues as puberty, body changes, ethical questions relating to respectful behaviour between people whether of the opposite or the same sex, and sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Moreover, awareness-raising information on sexual intercourse and sexually transmitted diseases has also been introduced into the biology curriculum for children aged 15 to 16 years old. C. Acceptability 84. The acceptability element requires that the form and substance of education be acceptable, meaning that it must be relevant, culturally appropriate and of good quality for students and, in appropriate cases, parents, subject to the educational objectives required under human rights law and national minimum educational standards. The curriculum should be human rights compliant, including being free from stereotypes. 85. The development of student-centred education, creating a participatory environment in classrooms and schools, in which students can express themselves and raise their concerns and expectations, is key to implementing the acceptability requirement. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur notes the existence of students’ councils and parents’ councils in public schools, and tutorship councils, composed of parents and other representatives of society, where issues related to teaching and education in general are debated with the school staff. 86. The strong political commitment of the authorities at all levels, the educational reforms put in place, the continuous reflexion about the educational system involving many stakeholders, and the emphasis put on the professional training of teachers are among the important elements that should contribute to significantly improving the quality of education in the near future. The role of the Qatar Foundation and of Education City is again to be stressed as a best practice, as it creates a dynamic atmosphere beneficial to the development of new thinking and experiences. 87. The Special Rapporteur was pleased to hear many stakeholders recognizing that the quality of an education system should be measured against students’ achievements in the fields of literacy, numeracy and sciences, but not in those fields alone. As underlined in the Education 2030 – Incheon Declaration: Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all, quality education also develops the skills, values and attitudes that enable citizens to lead healthy and fulfilled lives, make informed decisions and respond 13 14 Qatar, Department of Educational Policy and Research, Statistics Section, “Statistical Bulletin of Education November 2018”, p. 15.