The Education for All (EFA) Goals: 2000-2015
Over the last 15 years, much progress has been made towards achieving the Education for All Goals but despite this, they were not reached by the 2015 deadline.
The Sustainable Development Goals: 2015-2030
In September 2015, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, Member States formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in New York. The agenda contains 17 goals including a new global education goal (SDG 4). SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and has seven targets and three means of implementation.
This goal came about through an intensive consultative process led by Member-States, but with broad participation from civil society, teachers, unions, bilateral agencies, regional organisations, the private sector and research institutes and foundations.
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
What are the targets for SDG 4?
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Target 4.1 – Primary and secondary education By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes |
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Target 4.2 – Early childhood 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 |
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Target 4.3 – Technical, vocational, tertiary and adult education By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university |
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Target 4.4 – Skills for work 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 |
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Target 4.5 – Equity 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 |
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Target 4.6 – Literacy and numeracy By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy |
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Target 4.7 – Sustainable development and global citizenship 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 |
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Target 4.A – Education facilities and learning environments Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all |
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Target 4.B – Scholarships 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
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Target 4.C – Teachers 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 |
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Additional support
Accompanying the Sustainable development Framework is the Incheon Declaration adopted by around 1600 participants at the World Education Forum held in Incheon, Republic of Korea in May 2015. The Declaration represents the firm commitment of countries and the global education community to a single, renewed education agenda. A Education 2030 Framework for Action was adopted in November 2015 by UNESCO together with Member States, which outlines how to translate global commitments into practice at a country, regional and global level.