Quick Definitions
Targets
Countries adopted targets to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a
new agenda. Each target has specific (global and thematic) indicators to be achieved over the next 15
years.
| 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 |
| 4.2 | By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education |
| 4.3 | By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 4.6 | By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy |
| 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 |
| 4.a | Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all |
| 4.b | 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 |
| 4.c | 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 |
Global
Indicators
A small set of globally-comparable indicators to measure SDG 4.
| 4.1.1 | Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex |
| 4.2.1 | Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex |
| 4.2.2 | Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex |
| 4.3.1 | Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex |
| 4.4.1 | Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill |
| 4.5.1 | Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated |
| 4.6.1 | Percentage of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex |
| 4.7.1 | Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights, are mainstreamed at all levels in: (a) national education policies, (b) curricula, (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment |
| 4.a.1 | Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b) Internet for pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic sanitation facilities; and (g) basic handwashing facilities (as per the WASH indicator definitions) |
| 4.b.1 | Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study |
| 4.c.1 | Proportion of teachers in: (a) pre-primary; (b) primary; (c) lower secondary; and (d) upper secondary who have received at least the minimum organized teacher training (e.g., pedagogical training) pre-service or in-service required for teaching at the relevant level in a given country, by sex |
Thematic
Indicators
A broader set of specific comparable indicators to support comprehensive monitoring of SDG 4.
4.1
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in Grade 2 or 3; (b) at the end of primary
education; and (c) at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum
proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Administration of a nationally-representative learning assessment (a) in Grade 2 or 3;
(b) at
the end of primary education; and (c) at the end of lower secondary education
4.1.3
Gross intake ratio to the last grade (primary education, lower secondary education)
4.1.4
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary
education)
4.1.5
Out-of-school rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary
education)
4.1.6
Percentage of children over-age for grade (primary education, lower secondary education)
4.1.7
Number of years of (a) free and (b) compulsory primary and secondary education
guaranteed in
legal frameworks
4.2
4.2.1
Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health,
learning
and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry
age), by
sex
4.2.3
Percentage of children under 5 years experiencing positive and stimulating home learning
environments
4.2.4
Gross pre-primary enrolment ratio
4.2.5
Number of years of (a) free and (b) compulsory pre-primary education guaranteed in legal
frameworks
4.3
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training
in the
previous 12 months, by sex
4.3.2
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education
4.3.3
Participation rate in technical and vocational programmes (15- to 24-year-olds)
4.4
4.4.1
Proportion of youth/adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills,
by type
of skill
4.4.2
Percentage of youth/adults who have achieved at least a minimum level of proficiency in
digital
literacy skills
4.4.3
Youth/adult educational attainment rates by age group, economic activity status, level
of
education and programme orientation
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintiles and others such as
disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available)
for all
education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.5.2
Percentage of students in primary education whose first or home language is the language
of
instruction
4.5.3
Extent to which explicit formula-based policies reallocate education resources to
disadvantaged
populations
4.5.4
Education expenditure per student by level of education and source of funding
4.5.5
Percentage of total aid to education allocated to low-income countries
4.6
4.6.1
Percentage of the population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of
proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.6.2
Youth/adult literacy rate
4.6.3
Participation rate of youth/adults in literacy programmes
4.7
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable
development,
including gender equality and human rights, are mainstreamed at all levels in: (a)
national
education policies (b) curricula (c) teacher education and (d) student assessments
4.7.2
Percentage of schools that provide life skills-based HIV and sexuality education
4.7.3
Extent to which the framework on the World Programme on Human Rights Education is
implemented
nationally (as per the UNGA Resolution 59/113)
4.7.4
Percentage of students by age group (or education level) showing adequate understanding
of
issues relating to global citizenship and sustainability
4.7.5
Percentage of 15-year-old students showing proficiency in knowledge of environmental
science and
geoscience
4.a
4.a.1
Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b) the Internet for pedagogical
purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted infrastructure and
materials for
students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic sanitation
facilities; and (g) basic handwashing facilities (as per the WASH indicator definitions)
4.a.2
Percentage of students experiencing bullying, corporal punishment, harassment, violence,
sexual
discrimination and abuse
4.a.3
Number of attacks on students, personnel and institutions
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of
study
4.b.2
Number of higher education scholarships awarded by beneficiary country
4.c
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers in: (a) pre-primary education; (b) primary education; (c) lower
secondary
education; and (d) upper secondary education who have received at least the minimum
organized
teacher training (e.g. pedagogical training) pre-service or in-service required for
teaching at
the relevant level in a given country, by sex
4.c.2
Pupil-trained teacher ratio by education level
4.c.3
Percentage of teachers qualified according to national standards by level and type of
institution
4.c.4
Pupil-qualified teacher ratio by education level
4.c.5
Average teacher salary relative to other professions requiring a comparable level of
qualification
4.c.6
Teacher attrition rate by education level
4.c.7
Percentage of teachers who received in-service training in the last 12 months by type of
training
