A/HRC/44/39/Add.1 The Special Rapporteur was informed that waiting lists already existed for the Ihsaan schools, although they still needed to be reviewed at the time of her visit. In this regard, she welcomes the plan to organize afternoon shifts in the First Ihsaan school. 66. Ihsaan schools welcome children of different ages who may attend the same grade, despite their age difference. Ihsaan schools have limited provision for children with special needs. The schools have put specific programmes in place for the oldest children, to provide them with accelerated learning before they reach the school age limit, or to enable them to integrate into ordinary schools. 67. Notably, at the time of the visit, digital school projects were planned for young people who are no longer of school age or who cannot attend school because they are caregivers at home, which is the case for girls in particular. The Special Rapporteur is concerned at reports that the Ihsaan schools host a higher number of boys than girls, with a ratio of about 8 to 5 in the First Ihsaan School, which may be a sign of discrimination against girls, particularly those aged 11 to 14,who are required to remain within their families. To address this issue, there are plans to set up a community resource centre to initiate digital learning, backed up by a school visit once or twice a week, and to take steps to convince families of the importance of the compulsory nature of education. 68. These measures are very important and should be welcomed. They have a direct and immediate impact on children’s opportunities and future life paths, and represent a great relief for parents. When she visited the First Ihsaan School, the Special Rapporteur was impressed by the quality of the infrastructure, the dedication of the school team and the results that had been accomplished. The school opened in February 2019 and currently has 483 students aged between 5 and 15. Some 85 per cent of them are of Pakistani background and most of them were born in Qatar. According to the authorities, the biggest group of outof-school children of school age is from the Pakistani community. The Special Rapporteur notes that one matter that has still to be resolved is how to ensure that free school lunches are available for children attending the Ihsaan schools, as some of them come from extremely poor families and have very little to eat. 69. The very restrictive system of residence and family reunification in Qatar is also a root cause of out-of-school children. Several interlocutors referred to the existence of an undefined number of undocumented migrants in Qatar who had lost their permit for various reasons or had arrived in Qatar on a tourist visa. According to the law, schools may only enrol children who hold a Qatari identity card or residence permit. Undocumented children therefore remain out of school, some temporarily but for several months, and some have huge difficulties regularizing their situation. Furthermore, many refugees, particularly those from the Syrian Arab Republic, reportedly do not have refugee status and cannot therefore enrol in a school. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur recalls that, in its general recommendation No. 30 (2004) on discrimination against non-citizens, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination indicated that States “must ensure that public educational institutions are open to non-citizens and children of undocumented immigrants residing in the territory” (para. 30). 70. According to reports, it is possible that some children with disabilities do not attend school owing to their parents’ reluctance to send them to school. Efforts are under way to convince all parents of children with disabilities to send their children to school, bearing in mind the law on compulsory education. 71. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned that girls can no longer attend school once they are married or pregnant, although they may pursue their education through evening courses. This regulation is discriminatory and contrary to international human rights standards. Ensuring that accessibility leads to inclusiveness: children of various nationalities and social backgrounds 72. The right to education must be understood as the right to free, but also public and inclusive education. It is important to give people, including children of migrant workers, the choice of having access to either public or private schools, depending on their background, aspirations and possibilities. 12