SDG 4: Quality Education
Education is a crucial SDG because it enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty. It is the basis for acquiring decent work and providing all basic necessities.
SDG 4 covers multiple dimensions of education, training and development from birth to death - lifelong learning. I generally noticed a few big dimensions of education that are covered in the 2030 Agenda:
Accessibility - how easy or difficult it is to obtain an education, including eliminating barriers that may prevent access (cost, location, socio economic conditions, etc.)
Equity - who is able to access the education system, in particular ensuring that marginalized groups have the support they need to access and participate
Quality - it’s not enough to simply access education, the system needs to be of adequate quality, in order to ensure that people get the skills and knowledge they need
Skills and Knowledge - the variety of educational and training formats that enable people to obtain the skills to obtain employment and function in society
Let’s have a closer look…
Target 4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
What it means
To begin to understand this target, a good place to start is looking at how it is measured, which in this case is the proportion of children with minimum levels of reading and math comprehension at different stages of their educational journey. But this is quite simplistic and there is a lot more wrapped up in this definition, so let’s break it down a few key words:
Primary and secondary education - effectively grades 1-12 or the school children attend from ages 6-18, I note this because the exact grade labels may vary country-by-country. All 12 years should be offered and the first 9 years should be compulsory. Primary = children aged 6-12, secondary = children aged 13-18
Complete - it is not enough for education to be available, success is based on how many children successfully finish their primary and secondary education.
Free - 12 years of education should be free for children and publicly-funded.
Equitable - all children must have the access to quality education regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, location, etc.
Quality - while the measurement of this target uses numeracy and literacy as a proxy, there is a general understanding that quality goes beyond this. A more complete definition would be one that focuses on the social, emotional, mental, physical, and cognitive development of the child and that gives them the skills and capabilities needed to have a good life.
Where we are currently
As I am sure you can imagine, the numbers of children out of school go up with each level, i.e. a large number of children start in school and over the years and for a wide number of reasons those numbers decrease, particularly by high school. Globally, we have made good progress on reducing the number of out-of-school children (UNESCO), however projections before the pandemic predicted that more than 200M children would be out of school, and only 60% of young people will complete upper secondary education in 2030.
Primary education
2000 - 99.7M children out-of-school
2018 - 59.1M children out-of-school
This represents a primary school completion rate of 84 in 2018, up from 70% in 2000; and is projected to be 89% globally by 2030.
Lower secondary education
2000 - 98.7M children out-of-school
2018 - 61.5M children out-of-school
Upper secondary education
2000 - 177.1M children out-of-school
2018 - 137.8M children out-of-school
TOTALS
2000 - 375.5M children out-of-school
2018 - 258.4M children out-of-school
Of course, COVID has had a devastating impact on children’s education and the longterm effects of the pandemic on the number of children out-of-school is still to be determined.
In 2015, an estimated 617 million (55%) children primary and lower secondary school aged globally lacked minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics. One third were out of school and two thirds attended school but did not become proficient (UN Stats).
Despite years of steady growth in enrolment rates, non‑proficiency rates remain disturbingly high.
- UN Statistics
There are also worrying localized trends, for example in sub-Saharan Africa 88% of children (202 million) of primary and lower secondary school age were not proficient in reading, and 84% (193 million) were not proficient in mathematics in 2015 (UN Stats).
Target 4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education
What it means
This target looks at early childhood education and development, which encompasses the physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth of a child from birth to approximately age 5. It is an incredible important period in every person’s life as it is foundational to all other aspects of growth and development.
In the first few years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second – a pace never repeated again. - UNICEF
According to UNICEF, early childcare development and education encompasses many aspects, including nurturing care, good health, optimal nutrition and a stimulating and safe environment for all-round development and learning, but for the purposes of this SDG target it is measured by two important aspects:
The percentage of children under the age of 5 who are “developmentally on-track” in at least three of the following four domains: literacy-numeracy, physical, socio-emotional and learning.
Enrolment rate in pre-primary education; the standard that countries strive for is at least one year of free and compulsory quality pre-primary education
Where we are currently
According to UN Stats, the participation rate in early childhood education has been steadily increasing - 69% in 2017, up from 63% in 2010. However, disparities remain based on the socio-economic conditions in countries, for example the pre-primary education participation rate was only 43% in least developed countries.
Measuring developmentally on-track children is slightly more complicated but comparable data in 74 countries for the period 2011-2019 found seven in ten children aged three and four were developmentally on track.
Target 4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
What it means
This target aims to reduce barriers (including cost) to allow for the achievement of equitable access to higher education, which is essentially education and skill development occurring after compulsory primary and secondary education levels. This target also encourages the provision of lifelong learning opportunities.
The terms technical, vocational and tertiary education are often used interchangeably or overlapping ways but include a range of types of higher education. Generally, technical or vocational training are programs that focus on the development of very specific skills that allow a person to enter specific profession (such as tradespeople, artisans, etc.) and tertiary programs are more academic in nature (like colleges and universities).
Where we are currently
This is one of those targets that is very difficult to measure. While information exists on enrolment in formal higher education programs and institutions, there is no data on non-formal further education and training.
Latest statistics suggest that in 2020, 41% of women and 36% of men had attained formal tertiary education. However, this varies greatly depending on the level of development of the country. Countries like Korea, Canada, Russia and Japan have rates over 60% whereas average enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa is still below 10%.
Here are some interesting and illustrative statistics from those charts on tertiary education from the OECD, World Bank, Our World in Data and Statista.
Target 4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
What it means
This target may seem similar to the previous one but it looks more specifically at skills development and recognizes that skills can be gained in a variety of ways, not simply through formal education channels. It advocates for increasing and diversifying learning opportunities by using a wide range of education and training modalities. It also looks beyond work-specific skills, emphasizing development of high-level cognitive and non-cognitive/transferable skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, communication skills and conflict resolution, which can be used across a range of occupational fields (SDG 4).
Where we are currently
Interestingly, the only indicator for this particular target is related to digital literacy and the proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills. There are a range of skills that are looked at including: copying or moving a file or folder; using copy and paste tools to duplicate or move information within a document; finding, downloading, installing and configuring software; creating electronic presentations with presentation software; sending e-mails with attached files; using basic arithmetic formulae in a spreadsheet; connecting and installing new devices; transferring files between a computer and other devices; and, writing a computer program using a specialised programming language. Very little data is currently collected on this indicator outside of the European Union.
Target 4.5
By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
What it means
This particular target narrows in on issues of inclusion and equity in education and skills-development - specifically looking at disparities. This dimension has been hinted at in other targets but 4.5 makes explicit that all people, irrespective of gender, age, race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, language, sexual orientation, religion, political or other opinion, or socio economic status should have access to inclusive, equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities (SDG 4).
It also calls special attention to persons with disabilities, migrants, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups, and recognizes that targeted strategies may be required for them.
It also points out that women and girls may be subject to certain issues and barriers that make it difficult to complete an education; these include hygiene concerns, gender-based violence, child marriage, early pregnancy and a burden of household chores. In other contexts, men and boys may also be vulnerable and require targeted strategies also; for example entering the work force early.
Where we are currently
The ways of measuring this target are similar to others within SDG 4 (enrolment and completion rates, and school expectancy) but with disaggregation where possible. Disaggregation refers to digging “deeper” into the data and looking at specific groups, such as female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected.
Most disaggregated data that is available is related to gender. Gender disparity in education varies country-to-country - sometimes skewing towards boys, other times towards girls. At the global level, 118 girls were out of school for every 100 boys, however it is worth noting that significant progress has been made in enrolment rates for girls over the past decade. For more detail on country statistics view these interactive charts by the SDG Tracker.
Target 4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
What it means
Literacy is the ability to read and write. Numeracy is the ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concepts. UNESCO’s more comprehensive definition is an “ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society”
This target looks at functional literacy and numeracy, which is the equivalent of the level someone would receive after having successfully completed basic education.
Where we are currently
Over the last 65 years the global literacy rate increased approximately 4% every 5 years – from 42% in 1960 to 86% in 2018. (OWID) The global adult literacy rate (aged 15 years and older) was 86% in 2018, while the youth literacy rate (15 to 24 years) was 92%.
However, 617 million youth worldwide still lack basic mathematics and literacy skills. 750 million adults – two thirds of them women – remained illiterate in 2016. Half of the global illiterate population lives in South Asia, and a quarter live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Target 4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
What it means
Target 4.7 is a novel addition to the 2030 Agenda. It talks about the need to integrate sustainability, peace, human rights and intercultural/international understanding into education systems. The content of this education should instil knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required by citizens to lead productive lives, make informed decisions and assume active roles locally and globally in facing and resolving global challenges. (SDG 4)
Measuring this target looks at how this type of educations is mainstreamed at all levels - national education policie, curricula, teacher education, and student assessment.
Where we are currently
There is currently no data available on this target/indicator.
Means of Implementation
4A Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4B By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
4C By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states
Keep Learning
Here are a few great resources for further reading and learning: