access are compounded, resulting in a vicious circle leading to severe educational exclusion" Adalah welcomes this provision. We suggest the addition of language relating to barriers to educational access that have a specific impact on girl pupils. In the Naqab (Negev) region in southern Israel, for example, the dropout rates among Arab Bedouin girls reach over 77% in some “unrecognized villages”. These villages are very poor, deprived of basic services from the state, including the provision of drinking water, electricity and health and educational services, due to their lack of official status. In a recent Supreme Court petition, Adalah argued that the absence of any local high school in these villages has a detrimental impact on educational levels, especially for girls, and that it is the state’s duty to provide such access to education. As many Arab Bedouin girls must be accompanied by a relative to leave their villages, and are prevented from studying with students who belong to other tribes and being in the company of unfamiliar boys, the journey to the nearest high school poses an insurmountable barrier to the girls’ continued education. Adalah stresses that the draft should address that the existence of local customs governing the conduct of movement of girls and women does not relieve the state’s responsibilities to guarantee educational access for minorities. 4) "In order to ensure effective access to education for members of minority communities, authorities should address impediments resulting from poverty and child labour, low nutrition levels and poor health and sanitation among the communities" Adalah suggests that language be added to this provision regarding impediments resulting from a policy of historical discrimination or injustice in realizing the right to education to the above list such as in the case of the Palestinian minority in Israel. Further, the current text refers to the duty of state authorities to “address” impediments and difficulties in school enrolment. This language is weak. Rather, this provision should stress that states should take immediate and positive steps to resolve these difficulties. 5) "Enrolment and registration formalities and cost burdens should be eased to facilitate the admission of minority pupils into schools; such inhibiting factors may be a matter of strengthened concern in relation to the admission of girl pupils" In Adalah’s opinion, the word “eased” in this provision is weak and should be replaced with alternative wording such as “States should take all appropriate measures to ensure the admission of minority pupils into schools” in line with corresponding provisions of the article 13 of the ICESCR and article 10 of CEDAW. 6) "Exclusions of members of minorities from schools, and their dropout rates, should be carefully monitored and the problems effectively addressed, in co-operation with parents, associations and communities" Adalah suggests that the words “carefully monitored” and “effectively addressed” do not go far enough; instead, states should be obliged to take positive steps to lower high dropout rates among minority groups and bring them into line with rates among the majority population. In addition, states should be required to bring down any barriers to education that lead to high dropout rates, be they cultural, social, economic or of any other nature.