Ei-iE

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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 16 July 2010

    Jobs, Migration and Education

    Education was a significant talking point during the BBC World Debate broadcast last week from the OECD in Paris. The question put by presenter Nik Gowing was whether migration should be seen not as taking scarce jobs but rather as a source of scarce skills.

    Jobs, Migration and Education
  2. News 7 July 2010

    Teachers and students join to promote student-centered learning

    As part of its ongoing project with the European Students’ Union (ESU), EI organised a training seminar on student-centered learning (SCL) recently from 1-4 July in Sliema, Malta.

    Teachers and students join to promote student-centered learning
  3. News 2 July 2010

    Chilean union president gets help on charter school issue

    At the Global Education Summit, sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), education union delegates from around the world joined by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Vice-President Lily Eskelsen to discuss efforts to improve public education.

    Chilean union president gets help on charter school issue
  4. Research

    Early Childhood Education: A Global Scenario

    29 June 2010

    This study is a product of an early childhood education (ECE) mapping exercise conducted by the Education International ECE Task Force. Its findings reveal that there is a wide range of positive developments and experiences in several countries, including increasing participation rates, provision of comprehensive ECE services, as well as...

    Early Childhood Education: A Global Scenario
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  5. News 16 June 2010

    Civil society calls for action on Millennium Development Goals

    Anti-poverty activists from around the world have gathered at the UN headquarters in New York for a ground-breaking meeting between civil society, private sector bodies and government delegation in the General Assembly.

    Civil society calls for action on Millennium Development Goals
  6. News 15 June 2010

    World Refugee Day: Unions promote education for refugees

    This year's World Refugee Day on June 20 has ‘Home’ as its theme, to recognise the plight of 40 million uprooted people around the world. About 10 million of these people are children of special concern to the UN High Commission for Refugees.

    World Refugee Day: Unions promote education for refugees
  7. 8 June 2010

    Teachers and students together improve teaching in higher education

    Results from the ‘Time for student-centred learning’ study show that teachers are committed to improving their ways of teaching and are ready to listen to students’ opinions on pedagogical practices.

    Teachers and students together improve teaching in higher education
  8. 3 June 2010

    UNESCO Global Monitoring Report 2010: Too many children still out of school

    Education International has responded to the Education For All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2010. The report is an annual publication that monitors progress towards achievement of the six Education For All (EFA) goals that were agreed in Dakar in 2000. It is produced by an independent team working under for...

    UNESCO Global Monitoring Report 2010: Too many children still out of school
  9. 3 June 2010

    Interview with Ulrika Peppler Barry: At the Crossroads of Destiny

    Ulrika Peppler Barry is the team manager in charge of the Education For All Global Monitoring Report at UNESCO, and the Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCO’s Education For All Forum. The French teacher union SNUipp-FSU met with Ulrika in Paris to reflect on the opportunities and challenges involved in achieving...

    Interview with Ulrika Peppler Barry: At the Crossroads of Destiny
  10. 3 June 2010

    Global Action Week Round Up: Don’t lose sight of the goal!

    Thousands of teachers, students and activists turned out to mark Global Action Week (GAW) between 19-25 April in order to demand action for the 72 million children who still miss out on getting an education.

    Global Action Week Round Up: Don’t lose sight of the goal!
  11. News 28 May 2010

    Staff and students agree higher education should centre more on students

    European higher education staff and students' unions have expressed agreement that higher education should move further towards the needs of the student. This is a key finding from the survey by the European Students' Union (ESU) and the staff union Education International (EI).

    Staff and students agree higher education should centre more on students
  12. News 27 May 2010

    World teachers sign Millennium Development Goals letter to UN chief

    On behalf of teachers around the world, Education International has joined more than 100 civil society organisations in signing an open letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on his review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    World teachers sign Millennium Development Goals letter to UN chief
  13. News 26 May 2010

    EI joins civil society to deliver education finance training

    Education International has joined the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), Action Aid International and Africa Network Campaign on Education for All, for an intensive training programme on education financing in the East African Sub-region.

    EI joins civil society to deliver education finance training
  14. News 6 May 2010

    African teachers demand further efforts to achieve Education For All

    "We are passionate about realising the ideal of quality education for all children; indeed, investing in education is the best investment any nation can make in its own future," said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, drawing attention to the shortfall in the efforts towards achieving Education for All. He...

    African teachers demand further efforts to achieve Education For All