A/HRC/43/50/Add.2 41. Whereas such civil society efforts are necessary and promising, they will not be sufficient in and of themselves to compensate for past failures and enhance public awareness about the history of Maldives. Official awareness-raising campaigns, a nationwide survey of heritage resources, involving local inhabitants, artistic and history curricula in schools, specialized training activities in history, archaeology and conservation, and public policy development in the fields of history and heritage are all necessary. To fulfil these tasks, the Department of Heritage will have to be provided with the necessary budget. 4. Cultural rights perspective on education 42. Education is closely related to the enjoyment of cultural rights by all without discrimination. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the enormous responsibility borne by the Ministry of Education, and the efforts of the Ministry in undertaking the necessary reforms. The Special Rapporteur hopes the Minister will receive full support to achieve her difficult mission. 43. According to a variety of stakeholders encountered by the Special Rapporteur, urgent action must be taken: to reinstate teaching of culture, art, music and history in the mandatory school curriculum; to clearly respond to reported rejection of such teaching in practice in numerous schools by some teachers and parents; and to allow for the development of interest and skills in these important fields. There is also a need to develop adequate higher education programmes and professional training activities to foster and support the talents of Maldivians. The entire educational system should approach this priority in a holistic manner, in order to ensure continuity between teaching in these fields, study and research opportunities, and related career development. Books about arts, culture and history by genuine experts need to be made more widely accessible in libraries across the country. 44. At the primary and secondary levels, teachers have to be more extensively trained during their university studies to thoroughly address cultural and historical subjects with children, and they should have access to adequate manuals and books related to arts, culture and history. For history teaching, an option would be to integrate field trips for students, to visit places where important events occurred or to see and learn to appreciate cultural heritage and sites. 45. For cultural and artistic education, having specialized teachers, with more extensive knowledge and experience in the field, could have a beneficial impact, not only on the quality of knowledge and know-how being transmitted, but also on the interest and creativity of children. Teacher training is essential. Artist residency programmes or collaboration between local artists and schools for specific projects should be considered. This would benefit both children and artists. 46. The education system is a key sphere in which to promote tolerance and human rights. The national curriculum and teachers should be vetted to ensure that fundamentalist content is not being taught in schools.4 5. Access to a diversity of works and the space for artistic expression 47. Opportunities for artists and traditional crafts producers to display and sell their works and perform are limited, affecting both the right of artists to meet their public and the right of all to have access to the creativity of artists and craftspeople. The Government needs to take a clear position in favour of freedom of artistic expression and the importance of performing arts. 48. The country has only one public gallery, the National Art Gallery, situated in the capital. Artists are particularly concerned about the lack of a permanent collection, the fact that this space is used for multiple purposes and rented for private functions and about the inadequate lighting and climate conditions for artistic displays. The Special Rapporteur commends the efforts of the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage to consult those working in the arts in Maldives concerning: the development of a permanent national arts 4 See recommendations in UNESCO, Preventing Violent Extremism Through Education: A Guide For Policy-makers (Paris, 2017). 9