A/HRC/43/63 70. Education should evolve alongside society and reflect society’s diversity. States must deliver on commitments to ensure secondary education and lifelong education for all. Curricula should be inclusive, flexible and learner-oriented, and promote critical and creative thinking to allow children and youth to express themselves and learn to think independently and challenge. 71. Children and youth are agents of change. The transformative role of education cannot be realized if they are not actively engaged. Empowering children and youth is the first step to realizing their rights, and means involving them in all stages of relevant processes. They require knowledge of global topics, humanity, peace, inclusion and anti-corruption, and the skills and tools to use this knowledge to advocate for human rights and sustainable development. Material must be age- and language-appropriate and relevant to their experiences. B. Recommendations 72. States, civil society, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders should respect, protect and fulfil all human rights of children and youth, especially education, in line with international human rights law and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The right to education must be enshrined in national laws, policies and strategies, and implemented concretely at the national and local levels. 73. States should invest in universal quality, inclusive education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, in particular in conflict and emergencies, including through targeted investment. Official development assistance should be available for developing countries to address investment gaps in order to realize universal quality education. 74. States should adopt measures to reach those left furthest behind, including by assessing and prioritizing their specific needs and vulnerabilities. States should ensure that educational facilities are accessible. 75. States should remove all direct and indirect financial barriers to education, including tuition fees and additional costs, and establish programmes to support families whose children work so that they remain in school. 76. States should collate and provide transparent, accurate data concerning the needs of out-of-school children and youth, disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and other relevant groups, to inform education planning. 77. States should ensure that education is upheld in conflict and emergency settings, and that safe spaces are provided for children and youth to access critical services and learning, including psychosocial support. States should endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, and fully implement the Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. 78. States, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders should ensure that all refugee children can access quality, inclusive education on an equal basis with students in host countries, including by implementing the education commitments in the global compact on refugees. 79. Curricula, teaching methods and learning outcomes should be nondiscriminatory, inclusive, effective, learner-centred and gender-sensitive. They should have contextualized methodologies, prepare young people for the workplace and global challenges, and reflect technological, political and scientific developments. They should encourage creative and critical thinking and consider students’ differing needs and abilities. This includes comprehensive age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education and the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development and human rights. 80. States should adopt policies to ensure that pregnant girls and young mothers can access education, including through part-time classes and technical or vocational training. 18