A/HRC/44/39/Add.1 criteria and policies and tuition fees (which may not be raised without authorization), clearing handbooks and controlling school venues. Many stakeholders, particularly those from community schools, informed the Special Rapporteur that the Government exercised a great deal of quality control and provided advice with much benevolence. Audits were generally reported to be fair and reasonable, the Ministry of Education being generally very supportive. 37. The Special Rapporteur underlines that allowing the private sector to engage in the education sector enables the country to have a wider diversity of schools and to adapt better to parents’ choices, in accordance with article 13 (3) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Nevertheless, she recalls that private educational institutions should not supplant or replace public education, but supplement it in a way that is conducive to the realization of the right to education for all, with due regard for cultural diversity. Furthermore, ensuring respect for parents’ or guardians’ choices should not lead to or maintain disparities of educational opportunity or outcomes for some groups in society that nullify or impair the enjoyment of the rights to equality and non-discrimination, such as a segregated education system. It should not adversely affect or create a foreseeable risk of adversely affecting the capacity of the State to realize the right to free, quality public education.5 38. Several elements indicate that some adjustments need to be made in Qatar in this regard. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned at reports that the limited availability of places in public schools for non-Qataris and in community schools has resulted in an exponential growth of the for-profit private sector, not always in line with the aspirations of parents and learners (see below). 39. Students who are eligible for public education in State schools may benefit from the Ministry of Education’s educational voucher programme, covering tuition fees and school expenses in selected private schools up to a maximum of 28,000 riyals per year, costs in excess of that amount remaining the responsibility of parents. Concern has been expressed that this reform might adversely affect the public sector. III. Specific challenges relating to the right to education in Qatar 40. The Education and Training Sector Strategy, which aims to implement the National Vision 2030 in the area of education, identifies many challenges. Despite the progress that has been made, for example, regarding the introduction of the Internet in schools and increases in enrolment rates, 6 and thanks to the deployment of policies to improve the quality of education and teacher training, much remains to be done. 41. As explained in chapter II of the second National Development Strategy (2018– 2022) and by several of the Special Rapporteur’s interlocutors, the challenges include performance that is not up to expectations, as reflected in students’ scores in international exams; low rates of transition from secondary to post-secondary education, especially for males; a lack of harmonization between the qualifications of university and college graduates and the needs of the labour market; difficulties ensuring the recruitment of Qataris in the private sector and attracting and retaining Qatari teachers at post-secondary education level; difficulties ensuring child-centred education with modern teaching methods; the quality of scientific research; and a lack of disaggregated and consistent data. 42. The Special Rapporteur shares her findings on some of the challenges faced by Qatar through the lens of international human rights law. As underlined by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its general comment No. 13 (1999) on the right 5 6 8 Abidjan Principles on the human rights obligations of States to provide public education and to regulate private involvement in education, para. 48. See, e.g., Klaus Schwab, ed., The Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018 (Geneva, World Economic Forum, 2017). See also Qatar, Planning and Statistics Authority, Education in Qatar 2019 – Statistical Profile (Doha, November 2019). Available at www.psa.gov.qa/en/statistics/Statistical% 20Releases/Social/Education/2019/Education_Statistical_Pro%EF%AC%81le_2019_EN.pdf.