A/HRC/44/39/Add.1 96. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned that the kafalah (sponsorship) system, under which foreign teachers have to regularly renew their contract with the approbation of the school management, every one to five years, creates instability and fear of reprisals for those wishing to express their views on the school system or their own school. Reportedly, teachers are also under great pressure to give good grades to students, especially in private schools. Such instability is of particular concern when it comes to academics, leading to high levels of self-censorship, as reported by interlocutors, some of whom noted that the exercise of academic freedom should not jeopardize the reputation of educational institutions. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that this is extremely detrimental to students’ achievements and the quality of scientific research. Furthermore, the development of the creative and critical spirit of learners, which is key to achieving educational and scientific performance, will not be realized if teachers and professors cannot demonstrate that they can fully exercise their academic freedom. 97. A number of teachers also face residence permit issues, when for example female teachers depend on the visa of their husbands to remain in the country. In addition, while some teachers may bring their own family, including children, to Qatar, many others are not able to do so as they cannot reach the revenue threshold of QR 10,000 and/or cannot afford tuition fees for their own children. Average salaries for foreign teachers can be significantly below the threshold, for example about QR 3,500 in Indian schools. The Special Rapporteur draws the attention of the Government to article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights relating to the right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work that ensure “a decent living for themselves and their families”. 98. The Special Rapporteur was also surprised to learn that foreign teachers and administrative staff in public schools and universities receive about half the salary of their Qatari counterparts, in contradiction with the principle of equal pay for equal work. Cultural acceptability 99. As explained in the second National Development Strategy (2018–2022),15 society in Qatar is exposed to many new influences owing to the ever-growing number of expatriates working and living in the country. Despite positive outcomes created by more openness to cultural diversity, this also creates a challenge to “Qatari traditional values established in the Arab and Islamic culture”. For this reason, and in line with the National Vision 2030, the teaching of Arabic language and of Islamic history and the history of Qatar have been imposed at all levels of education up to the twelfth grade, in both public and private schools.16 While welcoming such important measures, the Special Rapporteur also has a number of comments. 100. Firstly, as noted above, only one handbook on the history of Qatar is authorized. While other history courses in community and private schools enable students to adopt a multi-perspective approach to history, this is particularly problematic in public schools where no such approach seems to be adopted. The Special Rapporteur draws the attention of the Government to the crucial importance of ensuring a multi-perspective approach to the teaching of history, and refers it in particular to the report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights on the writing and teaching of history (A/68/296), and to her own report on the role of education in the prevention of atrocity crimes and mass or grave violations of human rights (A/74/243). 101. Moreover, Islamic studies is a compulsory subject in all schools, both public and private, for Qatari, Arab and Muslim students. In private and community schools, nonMuslim students may opt out and study ethics as an alternative. The Special Rapporteur draws the attention of the Government to article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and article 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under these provisions, and the practice of the relevant treaty bodies, the freedom of parents to ensure 15 16 16 See, e.g., p. 185. Qatar, Second National Development Strategy (2018–2022), p. 185.