A/HRC/44/39/Add.1 Need to develop literacy and vocational training programmes for low-wage migrant workers 52. Another source of concern to the Special Rapporteur relates to low-wage migrant workers, a significant proportion of whom are illiterate or have attended primary school only. The Planning and Statistics Authority, in the Labour Force Sample Survey 2017, indicates that over half of the non-Qatari labour force working in the private sector have a limited skill level. About 65 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women have qualifications that are below secondary education level (pp. 13 and 15). 53. From both a strategic and a human rights perspective, the Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to provide a functional literacy programme for these people in conjunction with vocational training. Developing their vocational training would enable Qatar to train people for the professions needed for the country’s continued economic development once the major construction works are complete, and to retain a part of the population already familiar with cultural practices in Qatar. Offering workers professional development opportunities in line with their aspirations and competencies, rather than their origins, would also enable Qatar to take steps to address the concerns expressed by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance following her visit in 2019, relating to the existence of a firm societal association between certain types of work and specific nationalities. 7 54. Some good practices have been deployed in this regard, for example, by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is responsible for installing the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup. The Committee has reportedly set up vocational training programmes for personal development and the acquisition of new skills, thereby encouraging professional mobility. B. Accessibility 55. In accordance with the accessibility requirement, educational institutions and programmes should be accessible to everyone, without discrimination. Economic accessibility: the right to free education 56. The right to free education, as enshrined in article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is a crucial component of the accessibility requirement. The Special Rapporteur recalls that, in accordance with those provisions, Qatar has committed to ensure compulsory free primary education for all, and to progressively introduce free education at the secondary and tertiary levels. However, education is not free of charge for many children residing in Qatar. 57. Firstly, fees may be paid for non-Qatari children whose parents work in the private sector to attend public schools. The Special Rapporteur recognizes that those fees, described as “symbolic”, are very low, amounting to QR 2,000 (about US$ 550) per year for transportation if needed, and QR 150 (about US$ 40) for books. However, some families find it difficult to pay such fees. The Ministry of Education may exonerate them for the fees, and in the absence of a timely response from the Ministry, some schools have decided to exonerate some families from paying book fees. 58. Secondly, the fees charged in community schools are unaffordable or difficult to afford for some families. For example, fees charged by community schools visited by the Special Rapporteur ranged from about QR 9,000 (about US$ 2,500) to QR 75,000 per year (about US$ 20,000). In addition, fees do not always cover expenses such as books, uniforms and transportation. 7 10 See her end of mission statement, dated 1 December 2019. Available at www.ohchr.org/en/ NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25374&LangID=E.