Curricula are not just lists of subjects to teach. Curricula guide and are central to the quality of teaching and learning. They are fundamental to improving human capital, motivating people to stay in education and training and to promoting lifelong learning. Pressure to modernize education and training to respond to the diverse needs of learners and the labor market is changing curricula. In vocational education and training (VET), curricula are becoming broader and are including key competences. The trend is moving away from learning objectives set for teachers, to designing curricula based on learning outcomes defined for learners. Learning outcome-based curricula value what a learner knows, understands and is able to do. They can also accommodate different learning rhythms and paths. This shift is particularly evident in VET and higher education and, increasingly, in general education. In conclusion, learning outcome-based curricula can promote learner-centered and inclusive teaching and learning practices. They can be important tools in the hands of teachers to develop autonomous and active citizens who think critically. The conditions for implementing curricula have to be the right ones if their potential is to be realized. (Contains 3 boxes and 3 footnotes.)