As the official data source for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the UIS is working with countries and partners to build consensus around the new measurement agenda, while developing the indicators, standards and tools needed to monitor progress and help countries improve the quality and use of their data as they strive to achieve their development goals.

The UIS is bringing together key actors from across the international education community through two flagship initiatives that will be meeting in May to help set the course for the measurement agenda.

The Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) will be meeting from 11-12 May in Mexico City, with the support of the Instituto Nacional para la Evaluación de la Educación.  GAML is developing the standards and methodologies needed to measure learning globally, while helping countries to produce and use the information to achieve SDG 4.

The Alliance will bring together a wide range of experts and decisionmakers involved in national and cross-national learning assessment initiatives, as well as donors and civil society groups. During the May meeting, these stakeholders will help develop a series of new tools to better capture data from different types of learning assessments, as well as frameworks and guidelines to help countries evaluate and strengthen the quality of their assessment activities. Several of the sessions will be recorded (see information below for links to videos).

While reviewing the development work underway for each SDG 4 target, the meeting will focus specifically on progress made on Indicator 4.1.1: the percentage of children and young people achieving proficiency in reading and mathematics. By working with GAML partners, the UIS has found a solution to report this indicator in the short term, while continuing to develop an internationally-comparable methodology for medium-term reporting.  

Alliance members will also be preparing recommendations for the Technical Cooperation Group (TCG) on the Indicators for SDG 4–Education 2030, which will be meeting in Montreal from 31 May to 2 June with the support of Montreal International and Tourisme Montréal.

The TCG builds political consensus on the SDG 4 measurement agenda by bringing together Member States, multilateral agencies and civil society groups. The TCG has established three working groups that specifically focus on indicator development, capacity building and country reporting of data for international monitoring. The third meeting will specifically focus on their proposed strategies and work plans. 

See the videos of selected sessions of the GAML meeting!

  • Sessions 1-2 (Opening and current status of learning indicators in UN process)
  • Session 3 (Descriptive and diagnostic tools)
  • Session 4 (Indicator 4.1.1)
  • Sessions 5 (Indicator 4.1.1 continued, temporary reporting and global lead indicator
  • Session 13 (Closing)