instruction also influences a parent’s willingness to send their children to school. Parents may find little benefit, for example, in an education that does not teach traditional livelihoods or culture or which stigmatizes their identity. In particular, minority girls are frequently perceived as the bearers of minority culture. Therefore, where schools are not culturally relevant, parents may not send girls to school, fearing that they will lose their culture. Some of these policies have resource implications for States, since not all minority groups will have access to positive measures on the part of States. Provision of mother-tongue education for immigrant groups may be a lower priority than, for example, for larger and/or long established minorities. At a minimum, States are expected to ensure non-discrimination in access to and provision of education and not prevent minorities from providing private instruction in their languages, cultures or religions in conformity with domestic law. States should be supported to invest resources in inclusive education with the understanding that it is in the best interests of the child and of society at large to facilitate inter-cultural understanding and multiple language skills. 20 Concerns have been raised regarding separate schools for minority children. Some argue that such schools encourage segregation and undermine the integration of minorities. Minority rights standards state clearly that the minority child must also be given opportunities to learn about other cultures and are encouraged strongly to learn the state language. The UN Declaration on the Rights of National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities states, “Persons belonging to minorities should have adequate opportunities to gain knowledge of the society as a whole” (article 4.4). The Convention on the Rights of the Child requires education to prepare the child for “responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin” (article 29.1 (d)). Parents do have the right to educate their children in independent institutions if they wish but the State has an obligation to ensure that both minority and majority children also have access to inter-cultural education. Key Messages  Education is a key component of protecting minority cultural identities.  Education can promote non-discrimination, inter-cultural understanding and poverty reduction for minorities.  Education can be a pathway to more engagement of minority communities in the curriculum and wider civic participation. M A R G I N A L I S E D M I N O R I T I E S I N D E V E LO P M E N T P R O G R A M M I N g