A/HRC/17/40/Add.2 every neighbourhood may be seen as a thumbnail representation of Singapore as a whole. Each precinct contains flats of different sizes so that households of different income and social profiles live together. Common spaces and shared facilities such as playgrounds or fitness corners enable all communities to regularly interact and to gain entrance into each other’s world of food, festivals or social customs. In particular, the Special Rapporteur’s attention was drawn to the “void decks” situated on the ground floor of each public housing block. These shared open spaces, where weddings, funerals or group games frequently take place, were highlighted as representing an important element of multi-ethnic, multireligious and multicultural life in Singapore. 37. While the rationale and objectives of the Ethnic Integration Policy may be laudable, the Special Rapporteur was informed that its implementation had actually created new problems. For instance, it was alleged that the existing public housing quotas may prevent members of ethnic minorities from finding accommodation close to their families. Moreover, since this policy prevents individuals from selling their flats to members of other ethnic groups if the maximum quota for these ethnic groups is reached, ethnic minorities seem to encounter greater difficulties in reselling their apartments in the secondary market to members of their minority group. In this regard, several civil society interlocutors stressed the fact that, for ethnic minorities, the pool of potential buyers was smaller and therefore the selling price would be lower than if they were allowed to sell their properties to members of the ethnic Chinese group, for instance. In addition, some civil society interlocutors expressed their concerns that this policy based on ethnic grounds may contravene article 12, paragraph 2, of the Constitution with regard to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property (see para. 13 above). 38. Although the implementation of the Ethnic Integration Policy may already be of a rather complex nature, the Special Rapporteur would therefore like to suggest that more flexibility be allowed in its implementation, so that members of ethnic minorities may be able to find accommodation close to their families, for instance. Moreover, while there seems to be general agreement that this policy has benefited Singapore society as a whole, the Special Rapporteur would like to encourage the authorities to keep it under constant review, so as to take into account the evolving needs of the population living in Singapore. D. Education 39. The Singaporean public education system has been successful in allowing all children, regardless of their backgrounds, to learn and play together. It has also been successful in preserving the languages of the main ethnic groups by allowing pupils to be taught both in English and in their mother tongue, i.e. Mandarin, Malay or Tamil. During his mission, the Special Rapporteur was informed about various education policies and programmes fostering tolerance, understanding and respect among the youth. For instance, school curricula include topics on social cohesion and harmony; interschool partnerships are organized for schools that are rather homogenous so that pupils may experience the existing ethnic and religious diversity in Singapore; and classroom arrangements are monitored so as to avoid any ethnic congregation. In addition, the Racial Harmony Youth Ambassador Programme seeks to develop a dynamic generation of youths from different backgrounds who participate actively in the development of a cohesive community.9 To that effect, it appoints Racial Harmony Ambassadors, whose tasks are, inter alia, to spread the message of multi-ethnic harmony among their families and friends, and to organize multi-ethnic activities. Another initiative relates to the yearly celebration in schools of the 9 12 For more information on the Programme, see www.rhya.com.sg/.