A/HRC/43/47 Furthermore, in its section on education, the 2017 publication by the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues entitled “Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: a practical guide for implementation” highlights the importance of designing and implementing educational programmes in minority languages along with the teaching of the official language(s), and advocates for the preservation of minority languages, because as stated “a language that is not taught is a language that will ultimately vanish”. Furthermore, the Practical Guide emphasizes that “the rights of linguistic minorities are human rights”, and that education “deals with what is perhaps the central linguistic right of minorities, and is also fundamental to the maintenance of linguistic diversity.” It also indicates that “quality public education in the mother tongue should ‘be extended to as late a stage in education as possible’, up to and including public university education where practicable.” The thematic report will address existing challenges with regard to such access to quality education by persons belonging to minorities, and will highlight good practices with regard to the inclusion of minority languages in national curricula, the effective involvement of minorities in the design and implementation of educational programmes, as well as other positive legal and policy developments that recognize and guarantee the right of minorities to learn and study in their own language. In his analysis on minority language integration in the educational systems, the Special Rapporteur will pay particular attention to the educational needs of deaf people, as members of a linguistic minority, the recognition of sign languages as minority languages and their inclusion as a medium of instruction at all educational levels. Call for submissions In accordance with the established practice of thematic mandate holders, the Special Rapporteur welcomes inputs by States, UN agencies, regional and international organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society, scholars and research institutions, and others who may wish to submit for this purpose. Such submissions may include, for instance, recommendations, evidence and case studies, as well as analyses relevant to 1. Please provide information on the specific legislative, institutional and policy framework at the national and local level that address minority education, and education of and in minority languages, including sign languages. Please provide examples of key laws, policies and practices, including good practices, as well as gaps. 2. Please provide examples of programmes of linguistic diversity, learning materials, multi-lingual and multi-cultural approaches to and methods of teaching and learning, involving the teaching and learning of minority languages and cultures. 3. Please provide information on initiatives and programmes that effectively address challenges faced by minorities in accessing quality education, including the issue of direct and indirect costs of education. 4. Please provide examples of training programmes for teaching staff and educational administrators, including inter-cultural training, aiming at preparing them to respond to the educational needs of minority students. 5. Please provide examples of programmes and initiatives to strengthen the availability of teaching staff who speak minority languages, including teaching staff from minority communities. 6. What are the identified challenges in the design and implementation of programmes and initiatives to facilitate access to education, including vocational education and training, by persons belonging to minorities and to integrate minority languages in the national curricula as separate subjects and as mediums of instruction? 7. Please describe to what extend and how are persons belonging to minorities and their representative organizations involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational programmes and curricula. 19