Ei-iE

AP / vide
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 20 May 2014

    Latvia: Union mobilises for pay increase

    Educators and science employees actively participated in protest actions in Riga to demand additional state financing for effective education reforms on 12 May.

    Latvia: Union mobilises for pay increase
  2. News 20 May 2014

    2014 European Elections: Bringing priorities on Quality Education at the core of the electoral debate – rounding up campaign activities in Europe

    ETUCE’s initiative aimed at encouraging candidates to the EP to pledge for the 10 key messages on ‘What is needed to improve the Quality of Education in Europe’ has been welcomed and supported by ETUCE affiliates throughout national activities in many European countries.

    2014 European Elections: Bringing priorities on Quality Education at the core of the electoral debate – rounding up campaign activities in Europe
  3. News 20 May 2014

    Winds of change for Europe: 25 May 2014 vote for Europe

    ETUCE is calling on all its affiliates to vote for candidates that can change the course of austerity policies in Europe, to vote for a social and democratic Europe.

    Winds of change for Europe: 25 May 2014 vote for Europe
  4. News 20 May 2014

    EI General Secretary presents UNITE campaign at ITUC Congress

    The importance of trade unions' role in helping realise quality education was the message delivered by Education International this week as union delegates from around the world met in Berlin.

    EI General Secretary presents UNITE campaign at ITUC Congress
  5. News 19 May 2014

    Lebanon: No deal in Parliament on salary scale bill

    Lebanon’s Parliament has failed to pass a public sector salary scale bill, which would have seen an overall maximum salary increase of $1.4 billion.

    Lebanon: No deal in Parliament on salary scale bill
  6. News 19 May 2014

    EI calls for inclusion of teachers in post-2015 education strategy

    Education International has urged UNESCO and its member states to put teachers at the center of efforts to improve quality education for all in the new global education strategy at the Global Education for All Meeting in Muscat, Oman.

    EI calls for inclusion of teachers in post-2015 education strategy
  7. News 16 May 2014

    Germany: Unions give the ‘thumbs down’ to standardised testing

    EI’s national affiliates in Germany, the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW) and the Verband Bildung und Erziehung (VBE) together with the Grundschulverband (GSV), have criticised the VERgleichsArbeiten (VerA) study which compares work between students in 3rd and 8th grades.

    Germany: Unions give the ‘thumbs down’ to standardised testing
  8. News 15 May 2014

    Symposium reflects on future of education, equity

    EI Deputy General Secretary David Edwards participated May 14 in a virtual panel discussion on education policy and the future of education. The webinar was held in the framework of the Whole Child Symposium, a live online event organised by ASCD.

    Symposium reflects on future of education, equity
  9. News 8 May 2014

    Academics express concern about PISA

    Almost 100 academics have signed a letter to the Director of Education and Skills at the OECD, Andreas Schleicher, expressing their concern about what they believe to be 'the negative consequences of the PISA rankings' including its 'escalation' in 'standardised testing' and emphasis on 'a narrow range of measurable aspects...

    Academics express concern about PISA
  10. News 7 May 2014

    Indonesia: Union maintains pressure for quality education

    The Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia (PGRI), one of EI’s national affiliates, has sent a letter to the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, acknowledging progress made in ensuring quality education and good training for teachers, and requesting it to continue efforts in the same direction.

    Indonesia: Union maintains pressure for quality education
  11. News 6 May 2014

    USA: 2015 budget unsatisfactory, say teacher unions

    EI’s national affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), have slammed the budgetary proposals contained for 2015 put forward by the House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.

    USA: 2015 budget unsatisfactory, say teacher unions
  12. Publications

    Tax Justice: A resource guide for education unions

    6 May 2014

    This online resource guide is designed to help Education International (EI) affiliates be better informed about what advancements are being made by the tax justice movement, and what they can do in their own countries to ensure adequate funding of public services.

    Tax Justice: A resource guide for education unions
    1. Download
  13. News 6 May 2014

    Working abroad in Europe – Recognition of professional qualifications

    The European Parliamentary Research Service has summarised the recently adopted EU Directive on Recognition of professional qualifications. In November 2013 the Directive 2013/55/EU was published amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications.

    Working abroad in Europe – Recognition of professional qualifications
  14. News 6 May 2014

    Secret negotiations threaten public services in 50 countries

    The 6th round of secret negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement took place in Geneva during last week. The participants (the EU, Australia, Canada, Chile, Taiwan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey and the...

    Secret negotiations threaten public services in 50 countries
  15. News 6 May 2014

    Fragmented career paths in higher education: downward spiral for quality of education in Germany and Sweden - GEW and SULF denounce

    EI/ETUCE affiliates GEW (German Education and Research Workers’ Union) and SULF (Swedish Association of University Teachers) joined in cooperation to fight for quality education and decent working conditions in higher education at the 5th Follow-up Congress on the Templin Manifesto of GEW held on 2 April 2014 in Berlin, Germany.

    Fragmented career paths in higher education: downward spiral for quality of education in Germany and Sweden - GEW and SULF denounce
  16. News 6 May 2014

    "Education is not a commodity, education is a human right"

    The Spanish teacher unions FETE-UGT, FECCOO and STES-I invited Spanish candidates for the European elections on 25 May 2014 to a panel discussion, asking them to make education a priority, their priority.

    "Education is not a commodity, education is a human right"
  17. 5 May 2014

    Global action week: equal rights for children with disabilities

    Children with disabilities are more likely to be out of school than any other group of children. The Global Campaign for Education’s action week from 4-10 May 2014 aims to challenge the exclusion faced by disabled children in realising their right to education.

    Global action week: equal rights for children with disabilities