In this, we introduce the themes and contributions that form the basis of the volume “Approaches to curriculum and its politics” within the 4th edition of the International Encyclopedia of Education. A common theme that binds these chapters together is unraveling the importance of the curriculum for different aspects and perspectives on education in general and in schools and preschools, in particular. Furthermore, two areas recur across the chapters: the curriculum as part of a framework for the governance of schools and the curriculum as an arena for competing perspectives on knowledge.