A/HRC/23/56 40. The Durban Programme of Action calls upon States to ensure that Roma, Gypsy, Sinti and Traveller children and youth, especially girls, are given equal access to education (para. 39). The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its general recommendation No. 27 (2000) on discrimination against Roma, also underlined that States should support the inclusion of all children of Roma origin in the school system and act to reduce dropout rates (para. 17). 41. While de jure segregation in schools has been abolished in various parts of the world, de facto segregation remains a challenge, particularly for Roma children. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur notes that there appears to be a widespread practice in Central and Eastern Europe whereby students of Roma origin are channelled into special schools for children with learning disabilities, regardless of their intellectual abilities. Such a practice has been challenged in both domestic and regional human rights litigation. In particular, the European Court of Human Rights has highlighted these problems in various countries. 42. The Special Rapporteur remains concerned that de facto racial segregation in education remains widespread in many countries, despite significant improvements by Governments in the regions. These practices may include the segregation of Roma children into special remedial schools for children with developmental disabilities; segregation of children into Roma “ghetto schools” or all-Roma classes; and denial of enrolment in mainstream schools. The Special Rapporteur reiterates the views and recommendations made by his predecessor in a report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/40). He also recalls the views expressed by the treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its concluding observations, that certain States need to intensify their efforts in order to improve the educational situation of Roma, including through measures to increase their enrolment in mainstream schools; by recruiting teachers and other school personnel from among members of the Roma community; and by sensitizing teachers and other education professionals to the social fabric and world views of Roma children. 3. People of African descent 43. Available information shows that measures aimed at favouring a more inclusive education have been implemented with respect to people of African descent in some regions, including in the Americas. For instance, in a number of countries, legislation in force requires public universities to guarantee half of their places to students from public schools, in order to ensure better access to these universities for those students from a background of poverty, which includes students of African descent. Other positive examples in the region – where a large population of persons identify themselves as being of African descent – include scholarships and loans which can be written off for students of African descent with limited economic resources and good academic performance. 44. Despite some positive initiatives, studies and findings by international and national bodies show that people of African descent still have a limited access to quality and higher education, and that their situation with respect to structural discrimination in this area remains a major challenge. Indeed, the information obtained shows that the educational infrastructure in those areas where the residing population is mostly Afro-descendant is insufficient; illiteracy is higher; indexes of schooling are lower; and the children and youth have fewer years of education. These circumstances result in only a very small percentage of the Afro-descendant population being able to enter and complete higher education or university studies. The information obtained also points to inappropriate studies programmes and educational methods; the economic difficulties in affording education costs; and the gap in incomes between Afro-descendant and non Afro-descendant people as the education level increases. 10