International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 13.1, General Comment No.13 (paras. 6.c, 12, 18, 24, 29, 49, 50 and 59); Convention on the Rights of the Child, Articles 3, 29.1, General Comment No. 1 (para. 9), General Comment No. 7 (para. 13), General Comment No. 17 (para. 57.g), General Comment No. 26 (para. 53) ; Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Article 10, General Comment No. 36 (paras. 24.b, 27.d, 46.g, 69.i).

See also non-binding instruments:

• Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education, (Guiding principles and strategies for transformational ECCE, para. 2.i)

Specific references about school curricula:

• Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 1, para. 9: ‘The curriculum must be of direct relevance to the child’s social, cultural, environmental and economic context and to his or her present and future needs and take full account of the child’s evolving capacities; teaching methods should be tailored to the different needs of different children. Education must also be aimed at ensuring that essential life skills are learnt by every child and that no child leaves school without being equipped to face the challenges that he or she can expect to be confronted with in life. Basic skills include not only literacy and numeracy but also life skills such as the ability to make well-balanced decisions; to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner; and to develop a healthy lifestyle, good social relationships and responsibility, critical thinking, creative talents, and other abilities which give children the tools needed to pursue their options in life.’
• Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 26, para. 53: ‘School curricula should be tailored to children’s specific environmental, social, economic and cultural contexts and promote understanding of the contexts of other children affected by environmental degradation. Teaching materials should provide scientifically accurate, up-to-date and developmentally and age-appropriate environmental information. All children should be equipped with the skills necessary to face expected environmental challenges in life, such as disaster risks and environment-related health impacts, including the ability to critically reflect upon such challenges, solve problems, make well-balanced decisions and assume environmental responsibility, such as through sustainable lifestyles and consumption, in accordance with their evolving capacities.’ 
• Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education (Guiding principles and strategies for transformational ECCE, para. 2.i): ’Improve the relevance and quality of ECCE curricula and pedagogy: Given the importance of ECCE in laying the foundations for flourishing lives and societies, ECCE curricula and pedagogy should build on local knowledge to develop child-centred, play based, fully inclusive, and environmentally and gender-responsive learning approaches that affirm multilingual education and the promotion of mother tongue language of instruction. Curricula and pedagogy should be informed by the latest developments in science and culture on how children develop and learn.’