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 July 2007

    Higher Education and Research personnel discuss common challenges at EI pre-Congress event

    The Higher Education Caucus, organised as a pre-congress event, was attended by 119 people from unions representing higher education and research staff from all regions. The Caucus took stock of the progress made by EI in the area of higher education and research, and identified a number of challenges being...

    Higher Education and Research personnel discuss common challenges at EI pre-Congress event
  2. News 10 July 2007

    Newsletter on Girls' Education: ‘Girls Too!’

    The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI) was launched in April 2000 at the World Education Forum in Dakar by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Each month UNGEI publishes a newsletter called ‘Girls Too!’

    Newsletter on Girls' Education: ‘Girls Too!’
  3. News 10 July 2007

    Interview with Hawa Koroma of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU)

    Hawa Koroma is the project coordinator of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union, SLTU. She spoke to EI about the impact of the war on education and the efforts being made to restore a sense of normality in a country that has been devastated by conflict.

    Interview with Hawa Koroma of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU)
  4. News 6 July 2007

    EI calls for long-term, predictable funding for MDGs

    At a meeting in Brussels on MDG Contracting held by civil society organisations with other stakeholders including the European Union on 3 July, EI joins in the call for long-term, predictable funding for the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

    EI calls for long-term, predictable funding for MDGs
  5. News 13 June 2007

    Education Donor Conference fails to keep promises

    On May 2nd the European Commission together with the World Bank and donor governments held a high-level conference with a view to allocating funds to education with a view to achieving Education for All by 2015.

    Education Donor Conference fails to keep promises
  6. News 13 June 2007

    Nicaragua, Honduras, Bolivia: EI and UEN analyse impact of FTI

    From May 10-12, the EI Regional Office in Latin America, together with the Norwegian Education Union (UEN) and all 18 Latin American EI-affiliated unions met in Managua, Nicaragua to analyse the impact of the policies of the International Financial Institutions – namely the World Bank and the IMF - on...

    Nicaragua, Honduras, Bolivia: EI and UEN analyse impact of FTI
  7. News 13 June 2007

    Guinea: Conference looks towards reconstructing democracy

    Since 1983, Guinea has been in the midst of a dictatorial regime led by Lansana Conté. In the last four years the level of social conflict and violence has heightened significantly, culminating in a two-month strike, the mobilisation of large sections of the population by the trade union centres and...

    Guinea: Conference looks towards reconstructing democracy
  8. News 13 June 2007

    New Report from ActionAid: Confronting the Contradictions

    A new report on teacher training and the IMF’s role in education has just been released by ActionAid. ‘Confronting the Contradictions: The case against the IMF on education’ demonstrates the link between teacher shortages and ill-conceived policies as imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Malawi, Mozambique and Sierra...

    New Report from ActionAid: Confronting the Contradictions
  9. News 21 May 2007

    EI Welcomes ESIB Name Change to European Student Union (ESU)

    EI and ESIB (The National Unions of Students in Europe) signed a partnership agreement in 2004 to work together on promoting the joint interests of higher education staff and students. At its last board meeting last week, ESIB changed its name to ESU (European Student Union).

    EI Welcomes ESIB Name Change to European Student Union (ESU)
  10. News 15 May 2007

    Global Action Week : EI affiliates join up for education rights!

    EI wishes to congratulate all those teachers and their unions who put substantial time, effort and creativity into lobbying for improvements to public education during Global Action Week.

    Global Action Week : EI affiliates join up for education rights!
  11. News 15 May 2007

    Senegal: Teachers work to improve education

    In the context of the EFAIDS Programme and Education for All in particular, the four teachers’ unions which constitute COSSEL (Senegalese Committee of Teachers Unions United against HIV/AIDS) held a workshop at the end of April on the reinforcement of teachers’ capacities on education-related matters.

    Senegal: Teachers work to improve education