A/70/286 4. Religious education in schools 47. Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the child’s right to education, as also enshrined in other human rights instruments, including article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. That, inter alia, requires that States “make primary education compulsory and available free to all” (article 28, para. 1 (a), of the Convention). The usual place for the implementation of that right is the school, which thus plays a major role in the life of children (for more detail, see A/HRC/16/53, paras. 20-62). However, apart from realizing the child’s right to education, the school is also a place in which the child is exposed to authority — not only the authority of teachers, but possibly also that of the State on whose behalf teachers act. The child may also feel exposed to peer pressure. That calls for a sensitive human rights-based approach when organizing school life and it requires that the particular vulnerabilities of children belonging to various minorities are always taken into account. 48. When religious ceremonies, such as public prayers, are performed in school, specific safeguards are needed to ensure that no child is forced to participate against his or her will, or the will of his or her parents. The same principle applies to religious instruction in schools, namely religious education given on the tenets of a particular religion or belief. Such instruction must not be a mandatory requirement and it should always be connected with the option of r eceiving a low-threshold exemption (see, for example, CCPR/C/82/D/1155/2003). Requests for an exemption must not lead to any punitive consequences and must not influence the assessment of the general performance of students in school. In practice, however, those requirements are often ignored, thus leading to situations in which children are exposed to involuntary religious instruction or even indoctrination. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has even referred to cases of forced conversion taking place in schools (see CRC/C/MMR/CO/3-4, para. 45) and the Special Rapporteur has heard complaints, inter alia, about confessions held by priests during re gular school hours (see, for example, A/HRC/22/51/Add.1, para. 63). 49. “Religious instruction” given in school differs conceptually from “information about religions and beliefs”. While religious instruction aims to familiarize students with a particular faith, information about religions and beliefs serves the purpose of broadening children’s knowledge and understanding of the diversity of faith systems and practices. Unlike religious instruction, which should never be given against the will of the child or his or her parents, information about religions and beliefs can become part of the mandatory curriculum, provided it is taught in a spirit of fairness and neutrality. In that context, the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend the Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools as a useful instrument for assessing and improving the quality of such teaching. 50. Parents also have the right to have their children educated in private denominational schools which conform to such educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State. 5. Voluntary display of religious symbols in schools 51. A much-disputed question concerns the voluntary display of reli gious symbols by students in public schools, such as headscarves, turbans, kippas or crosses. Following religious dress codes or displaying religious symbols generally belongs 15-12514 13/22