A/CONF.189/PC.2/22 page 29 underlying this issue.108 In this connection, while it is perfectly legitimate for a State to consider making an integrationist effort with the (or any one) official language, the concern to ensure respect for the self-esteem of all the individuals comprising that State must also be taken into account. Various forms of social behaviour of children and, later, of adults are contingent thereon. What is likely to be the attitude of a child who does not believe in himself or is taught to believe in the superiority of the language of the group to which he belongs (even if it is the majority)? Education is thus the crucible for a civic attitude in society as a whole, whatever its ethnic or religious make-up. 3. Lack or shortage of adequate resources 99. The failure to supply adequate resources to provide an education meeting the various aspirations for ensuring non-discrimination is a highly complex issue, objectively speaking, in view of the financial difficulties experienced by educational systems throughout the world, and particularly in the developing countries. In most of the countries surveyed by Francesco Capotorti, secondary education is not provided in minority languages. The reasons often given include a lack of funds, the unavailability of competent teaching staff and the desire not to fragment the educational system or, indeed, to impair national unity.109 100. In this connection, consideration must be given only to cases where such an attitude is based on discriminatory grounds and the shortage of funds affects the various ethnic and/or religious groups unequally. Thus, for example, in some European countries,110 budget cut backs and austerity policies affect educational programmes intended for the children of minorities or emigrants (in particular, remedial classes). In this regard, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recently had occasion to point out that “the situation of Roma is a subject of particular concern since no improvements have been noted in the … low educational level traditionally predominant among members of this minority”111 and recommended that “measures of affirmative action should be adopted in favour of the Roma population, especially in the areas of education and vocational training …”.112 In any event, it is only when such measures (or rather such non-measures) have an excessive impact and consequences for the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of a particular group that they may be described as prohibited discrimination. III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 101. Many factors of widely varying impact and far from easy to understand exert a negative influence, as we have seen, on education in relation to racial discrimination and religious intolerance. These factors include historical circumstances, the social and economic conditions of groups and minorities, their demographic distribution in the territory, their cultural impoverishment, the prejudices of dominant groups, the status of the majority and minority languages, the political will of the Government and of the groups themselves, the shortage of resources and the lack of intercultural dialogue. It would certainly not be realistic to expect that taking action on these factors could achieve the desired results immediately: some of them are not, in fact, specific to education and would require major efforts by the State and the international community, as well as considerable resources, which would not necessarily be forthcoming at short notice; other factors might not require substantial resources but would need