Ei-iE

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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 9 October 2015

    Lebanese teachers’ union singles out politicians for country’s woes

    The President of the Teachers Syndicate of Lebanon, Nehme Mahfoud, has lashed out at the political elite of his country for not settling their differences, causing the country to have a disfunctional parliament, a paralised government and no head of state.

    Lebanese teachers’ union singles out politicians for country’s woes
  2. News 3 October 2015

    ILO alliance looks to take on illegal labour practices

    The 8.7 Alliance was convened by the ILO in New York during the UN General Assembly with the expressed view of establishing an alliance to tackle child labour, forced labour and slavery.

    ILO alliance looks to take on illegal labour practices
  3. News 1 October 2015

    Germany: Innovative day of action draws attention to education

    Teacher activists from the German education union, Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW),and their students have organised a colourful awareness-raising day of action in the capital city, Berlin.

    Germany: Innovative day of action draws attention to education
  4. News 30 September 2015

    Global citizenship education is at the heart of new global goals

    In a set of roundtable sessions sponsored by the Global Business Coalition for Education and the Asia Society’s Center for Global Education, participants discussed ways to increase awareness and adoption of global citizenship education.

    Global citizenship education is at the heart of new global goals
  5. News 30 September 2015

    Education community gathers to tackle global goals together

    Education International joined other leading education stakeholders in New York City to discuss and learn how each plans to contribute to and rally around both the new Sustainable Development education goal and greater agenda.

    Education community gathers to tackle global goals together
  6. News 30 September 2015

    Teacher shortage threatens development

    A new study shows that 33 countries in the world will not have enough teachers to provide every child with a primary education by 2030, if current trends continue.

    Teacher shortage threatens development
  7. News 26 September 2015

    Hopgood delivers strong message for teachers

    Celebration was in the air at the Global Education First Initiative in New York, where leaders proclaimed victory with the new education goal and EI President Susan Hopgood made clear that teachers are the key.

    Hopgood delivers strong message for teachers
  8. News 25 September 2015

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  9. News 25 September 2015

    Our moment to celebrate

    Colleagues, in just a few hours I will address the UN for the opening of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York. This is set to be the UN General Assembly that brings together most world leaders in one place in history – and it should be.

    Our moment to celebrate
  10. News 24 September 2015

    Priorities and challenges ahead of the Post-2015 Summit

    The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development being adopted by Heads of State and Government this week in New York contains 17 goals set out to transform the world by simultaneously addressing social, environmental and economic challenges.

    Priorities and challenges ahead of the Post-2015 Summit
  11. News 23 September 2015

    Dedicated trade union leader appointed to new Commission on financing global education

    Teopista Birungi Mayanja, a former member of Education International's Executive Board and founder of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union, has been appointed to a new International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity.

    Dedicated trade union leader appointed to new Commission on financing global education
  12. News 16 September 2015

    Building the capacity of Liberian teachers

    More than 50 teachers from Liberia’s 15 counties traveled to the capital Monrovia last week to discuss ways to enhance education quality in the country, part of Education International’s programme to boost the profession.

    Building the capacity of Liberian teachers
  13. News 9 September 2015

    DRC: promoting high quality education and teachers

    Teachers unions in the Democratic Republic of Congo joined the country’s education ministry for a two day workshop in Kinshasa emphasising the importance of high quality education and teachers.

    DRC: promoting high quality education and teachers
  14. News 8 September 2015

    International Literacy Day: quality education for the world we want

    Often taken for granted, the ability to read and write is an essential element to creating sustainable societies, which is why this year’s International Literacy Day looks to promote its importance over the long-term.

    International Literacy Day: quality education for the world we want
  15. Publications

    Building the future through quality education

    Policy paper on education
    5 September 2015

    This policy paper challenges explicitly the narrow, instrumentalist view of education as solely teaching students to become skilled employees. Instead, it argues for a perspective on education that serves both the values of the society at local and global levels, as well as cultural, democratic, social, economic and environmental needs.

    Building the future through quality education
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