"In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or use his or her own language".
(Art. 30: International Convention on the Rights of the Child)

"The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to education. They agree that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic or religious groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace".
(Art. 13: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)

"States Parties agree that education of the child shall be directed to:
(c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own".
(Art. 29 (1): International Convention on the Rights of the Child)

"1. Every individual shall have the right to education.
2. Every individual may freely take part in the cultural ,Life of his community.
3. The promotion and protection of morals and traditional values recognized by the community shall be the duty of the State".
(Art. 17: African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights)

"The States Parties to this Protocol agree that education should be directed towards the full development of the human personality and human dignity and should strengthen respect for human rights, ideological pluralism, fundamental freedoms, justice and peace. They further agree that education ought to enable everyone to participate effectively in a democratic and pluralistic society and achieve a decent existence and should foster understanding, tolerance and friendship among all national and all racial, ethnic or religious groups and promote activities for the maintenance of peace".
(Art. 13 (2): Right to Education: Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)

Teaching of, and in, the minority language

"1. The Parties undertake to recognize that every person belonging to a national minority has the right to learn his or her minority language.
2. In areas inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities traditionally or in substantive numbers, if there is sufficient demand, the Parties shall endeavor to ensure, as far as possible and within the framework of their education systems, that persons belonging to those minorities have adequate opportunities for being taught the minority language or for receiving instruction in this language.
3. Paragraph 2 of this article shall be implemented without prejudice to the learning of the official language or the teaching of this language".
(Art. 14: Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities)

"It is essential to recognize the right of members of national minorities to carry on their own educational activities, including the maintenance of schools and, developing the educational policy of each State, the use or the teaching of their own language, provided however:
(i) That this right is not exercised in a manner which prevents the members of these minorities from understanding the culture and language of the community as a whole and from participating in its activities, or which prejudices national sovereignty;
(ii) That the standard of education is not lower than the general standard laid down or approved bY the competent authorities; and
(iii) That attendance at such schools is optional".
(Art. 5(1) (c): UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education)

"States should take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue".
(Art. 4(3): United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities)

"The participating States will endeavor to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities, notwithstanding the need to learn the official language or languages of the State concerned, have adequate opportunities for instruction of their mother tongue or in their mother tongue, as well as, wherever possible and necessary for its use before public authorities, in conformity with applicable national legislation".
(Para. 34: Document of the Copenhagen meeting of the Conference of the Human Dimension of the OSCE)

Knowledge of culture and traditions of society as a whole

"States should, where appropriate, take measures in the field of education, in order to encourage knowledge of history, traditions, language and culture of the minorities existing within their territory. Persons belonging to minorities should have adequate opportunities to gain knowledge of the society as a whole".
(Art. 4(4): United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities)

"Member States should promote, at various stages and in various types of education, study of different cultures, their reciprocal influences, their perspectives and ways of life, in order to encourage mutual appreciation of the difference between them. Such study should, among other things, find due importance to the teaching of foreign languages, civilizations and cultural heritage as a means of promoting international and inter-cultural understanding".
(Art. 17: UNESCO Recommendation concerning education for international understanding, cooperation and peace and education relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms)

"In the context of the teaching of history and culture in educational establishments, they will also take account of the history and culture of national minorities".
(Para. 34: Document of the Copenhagen meeting of the Conference of the Human Dimension of the OSCE).

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