27. Through a variety of educational programmes, teachers and other adults and the student body should be sensitized to the problems, needs and perceptions of young persons, particularly those belonging to underprivileged, disadvantaged, ethnic or other minority and low-income groups. 28. School systems should attempt to meet and promote the highest professional and educational standards with respect to curricula, teaching and learning methods and approaches, and the recruitment and training of qualified teachers. Regular monitoring and assessment of performance by the appropriate professional organizations and authorities should be ensured. 29. School systems should plan, develop and implement extra-curricular activities of interest to young persons, in co-operation with community groups. 30. Special assistance should be given to children and young persons who find it difficult to comply with attendance codes, and to "drop-outs". 31. Schools should promote policies and rules that are fair and just; students should be represented in bodies formulating school policy, including policy on discipline, and decision-making. C. Community 32. Community-based services and programmes which respond to the special needs, problems, interests and concerns of young persons and which offer appropriate counselling and guidance to young persons and their families should be developed, or strengthened where they exist. 33. Communities should provide, or strengthen where they exist, a wide range of community-based support measures for young persons, including communitydevelopment centres, recreational facilities and services to respond to the special problems of children who are at social risk. In providing these helping measures, respect for individual rights should be ensured. 34. Special facilities should be set up to provide adequate shelter for young persons who are no longer able to live at home or who do not have homes to live in. 35. A range of services and helping measures should be provided to deal with the difficulties experienced by young persons in the transition to adulthood. Such services should include special programmes for young drug abusers which emphasize care, counselling, assistance and therapy-oriented interventions. 36. Voluntary organizations providing services for young persons should be given financial and other support by Governments and other institutions. 37. Youth organizations should be created or strengthened at the local level and given full participatory status in the management of community affairs. These organizations should encourage youth to organize collective and voluntary projects, particularly projects aimed at helping young persons in need of assistance.