A/HRC/23/56 for instance those minorities or indigenous peoples for which agricultural seasons and ceremonial periods are important.4 18. The Special Rapporteur shares the view that economic accessibility requires that education has to be affordable to all, including free primary education.5 However in practice, the hidden costs of education, including those related to enrolment and attendance, sometimes lead to discrimination. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur recalls that the Durban Programme of Action urges States to set up national programmes to promote the access to basic social services, including primary education, of individuals and groups who are or may be victims of racial discrimination (para. 100). The Programme of Action also points out that States should consider establishing financial assistance programmes to enable all students to attend higher education institutions (para. 123 (g)). In this connection, the Special Rapporteur recalls that education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.6 2. Quality of curriculum 19. In order to promote the principles of equality and non-discrimination, it is important for States to ensure that their general curriculum, and not only the curriculum specifically devoted to human rights education, contains adequate and balanced information on the contribution of minorities, migrants and other groups living in the territory of the country. Tolerance and respect can only be effectively promoted and take root if the narratives of all groups of society are known and presented to students from an early age, in order to raise awareness of the history, contributions and current socioeconomic situation of those groups. Indeed, in addition to the issue of access, it is important that the curriculum promote diversity rather than the perpetuation of ideas of racial and ethnic superiority. In some countries, school books have promoted racist and xenophobic stereotypes of particular groups. In other cases, textbooks have been rewritten to blank out atrocities committed against some ethnic groups. The Special Rapporteur believes that an accurate portrayal of the history of atrocities perpetrated against discriminated groups is integral to an educational system that promotes the values of diversity and to understanding between different groups and cultures. 20. Education and education systems – if not carefully designed – may be used to perpetuate negative stereotypes of ethnic groups or to deny them equal access to quality education. Other potential negative consequences may be hidden in the contents of the curriculum and books, which may include references and materials that contribute to stereotyping and demeaning certain groups of society. Such stereotypes may reinforce the marginalization of groups, particularly in cases where those groups live in disproportionate poverty and lack adequate visibility and representation in public affairs and leadership. 21. It is therefore important that States not only develop new materials, but also review and amend existing curricula and textbooks with a view to identifying and eventually eliminating elements, both textual and visual, which may have the effect of promoting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance or of reinforcing existing deep-rooted negative stereotypes.7 4 5 6 7 6 Ibid., para. 61. See ibid. See Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 13 (1999) on the right to education (article 13 of the Covenant). Durban Programme of Action, para. 127.