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AP / vide

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

In 2015, all countries committed to achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Education International played a critical role in securing a stand-alone goal for education - Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Significantly, SDG4 recognised that quality education can only be delivered by qualified teachers.

However, at the current pace, governments will fail to achieve SDG 4. The COVID-19 pandemic poses additional challenges, and risks reversing years of progress on education. Urgent and decisive action is imperative.

Together with our member organisations around the world we are working to ensure that governments live up to their promise to achieve SDG 4 and all its targets by 2030.

  • We monitor progress and hold governments accountable.
  • We advocate for enhanced domestic financing for public education through fair and progressive taxation and international aid.
  • We oppose corporate interests that treat education as a market instead of a public good accessible to all.
  • We promote quality education that is free from violence, develops the “whole child”, builds tolerance, understanding, democracy, respect for human rights and active citizenship for sustainable development.
  • We promote the achievement of the “teacher target” (target 4.c), underlining every students’ right to be taught by a trained and qualified teacher.

Our work in this area

  1. News 17 April 2013

    CSFEF: Fighting threats to quality education

    The Bureau of the Francophone Trade Union Committee for Education and Training (CSFEF) met in Chisinau, Moldova, from 11-13 April. The meeting was preceded by a symposium where the impact of the current economic situation on public education, in each of the countries represented, was discussed.

    CSFEF: Fighting threats to quality education
  2. News 17 April 2013

    Canada: CSQ holds rendezvous on early childhood education

    The provision of quality early childhood education (ECE) services has been highlighted as an important entitlement for all young children at a Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) meeting.

    Canada: CSQ holds rendezvous on early childhood education
  3. News 17 April 2013

    Collaboration at the heart of teaching and union-government relationships

    Fostering the role of education unions as key voices within education reform processes and advancing teacher professionalisation through collaborative teaching practices, were some of the main issues that arose during the second day of the 9th EI annual Research Network meeting, held on 11 April in Brussels.

    Collaboration at the heart of teaching and union-government relationships
  4. News 15 April 2013

    Uganda: Teachers outline pre-contract demands

    EI’s affiliate, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), has set out terms for Government to meet before they sign new contracts.

    Uganda: Teachers outline pre-contract demands
  5. News 8 April 2013

    Denmark: Teachers' lock-out undermines Danish model of collective bargaining

    Despite intense last-minute discussions and new offers from the EI affiliate, the Danish Teachers Union (DLF), the employers’ lock-out of nearly all primary and lower secondary teachers in the whole country has become effective from 1 April. The lock-out prevents approximately 875,000 pupils from receiving their normal education as teachers...

    Denmark: Teachers' lock-out undermines Danish model of collective bargaining
  6. News 4 April 2013

    Report highlights lack of women and BME university professors

    A new report by the University and College Union (UK) warns that at the current pace of change it will take almost 40 years for the proportion of female professors to reach the same level as the proportion of female staff in universities and almost 16 years for black and...

    Report highlights lack of women and BME university professors
  7. News 4 April 2013

    Report highlights lack of women and BME university professors

    A new report by the University and College Union (UK) warns that at the current pace of change it will take almost 40 years for the proportion of female professors to reach the same level as the proportion of female staff in universities and almost 16 years for black and...

    Report highlights lack of women and BME university professors
  8. News 4 April 2013

    Student success in higher education

    Student success and learning outcomes have become the focus of higher education policy around the world. In most cases, the emphasis is on holding institutions and teachers accountable for achieving measurable outputs – like graduation rates and standardized test scores – with some significant implications.

    Student success in higher education
  9. News 4 April 2013

    Report of the 8th Education International Higher Education and Research Conference

    EI affiliates have pledged to work more closely together to defend and promote the professional, academic, trade union, and human rights of the higher education community. The commitment was made at EI’s 8th Higher Education and Research Conference, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 25-27 September.

    Report of the 8th Education International Higher Education and Research Conference
  10. News 4 April 2013

    EU launches new university ranking

    U-Multirank, a new university ranking system, was launched last month under the Irish EU Presidency at a conference in Dublin. Proponents say the new system marks a radical departure from the traditional methods of ranking higher education institutions which tend to focus mainly on research performance.

    EU launches new university ranking
  11. News 4 April 2013

    Germany set to eliminate tuition fees

    University tuition fees have been eliminated in Germany as the last two remaining states to charge students have change course.

    Germany set to eliminate tuition fees
  12. News 4 April 2013

    AHELO – Is it feasible?

    The OECD has released the first two volumes of the Feasibility Study of the Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO). The first report focuses on the development and implementation of the study while the second provides information about data analysis and national experiences.

    AHELO – Is it feasible?
  13. News 4 April 2013

    HER development cooperation consortium

    A number of EI’s higher education and research affiliates are joining forces to foster capacity building initiatives with sister unions in developing countries. The EI consortium is being established to pool resources to better support the strengthening of trade unions in the sector.

    HER development cooperation consortium
  14. News 4 April 2013

    EI policy statement on tuition fees

    At its meeting last October, the EI Executive Board unanimously adopted a new policy statement on tuition fees.

    EI policy statement on tuition fees
  15. News 4 April 2013

    Australia: education funding reform in jeopardy

    Public schools in Australia would receive $390 million less in funding in 2014 if the Australian federal and state governments fail to put in place the Gonski school funding reforms by the beginning of next year. This is according to a new budget analysis released by EI’s affiliate, the Australian...

    Australia: education funding reform in jeopardy
  16. News 3 April 2013

    Education budgets under pressure in EU Member States

    EI has commented on a new Eurydice report on the impact of the financial and economic crisis on education budgets across Europe, revealing that investment in education fell in eight out of 25 Member States since 2010.

    Education budgets under pressure in EU Member States
  17. News 26 March 2013

    EI advocates for quality education at highest levels

    EI firmly made the case for quality public education at the fourth meeting of the United Nations High Level Panel (HLP), held from 25-27 March in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting is a key event within the on-going processes to shape a new post-2015 development and education framework.

    EI advocates for quality education at highest levels