Ei-iE

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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 17 May 2006

    Submit nominations for 2006 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes

    UNESCO is calling for candidatures for five International Literacy prizes of US$20 000 each. This year’s theme is “Literacy and Sustainable Development”. One of the awards, the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, will also grant a study visit to literacy project sites in China.

    Submit nominations for 2006 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes
  2. News 28 April 2006

    Global Action Week 2006: Meeting with Brazilian President Lula

    In Brazil, education personnel and activists join hands in a large-scale mobilisation for the goal of Education For All as part of Global Action Week - an international mobilisation taking place this week.

    Global Action Week 2006: Meeting with Brazilian President Lula
  3. News 26 April 2006

    Press Release 7/2006: 18.1 Million extra primary school teachers needed by 2015 in order to achieve Education for All, UNESCO study finds

    Education International (EI) welcomes the UIS (UNESCO Institute for Statistics) report and considers it an important advocacy tool: "It will help us persuade the international community to take the political and strategic decisions required to recruit the qualified teachers that we need to achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015" said...

    Press Release 7/2006: 18.1 Million extra primary school teachers needed by 2015 in order to achieve Education for All, UNESCO study finds
  4. News 24 April 2006

    Indonesia: PGRI wins court case for increase in education budget to 20%

    EI affiliate in Indonesia, thePersatuan Guru Republik Indonesia(Teachers' Association of the Republic of Indonesia) - PGRI, has won the case in the Constitutional Court to increase public education budget from the present 8.1% to 20% as according to the constitution.

    Indonesia: PGRI wins court case for increase in education budget to 20%
  5. News 11 April 2006

    Press Release 5/2006: EI President Thulas Nxesi: Governments must commit to spend more on Education

    With Global Action Week on Education almost upon us, world leaders are under pressure to make a move on education sector commitments. As part of the Global Action Week campaign, EI President Thulas Nxesi yesterday called on governments worldwide to translate words into actions and to spend more on education.

    Press Release 5/2006: EI President Thulas Nxesi: Governments must commit to spend more on Education
  6. News 31 March 2006

    EI takes part in preparing the contribution of the international trade union movement to the G8 Summit tp be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2006

    On the occasion of the consultations held with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington DC, USA, from 27 to 31 March 2006, EI Deputy General Secretary Elie Jouen also took part in the meeting of the TUAC group on economic issues, which was responsible for...

    EI takes part in preparing the contribution of the international trade union movement to the G8 Summit tp be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2006
  7. News 30 March 2006

    Open letter to all affiliates: Every Child Needs a Teacher

    Within the framework of Global Action Week's activities to be held from 24th to 30th April, EI issued an open letter on 30 March, signed by the President and General Secretary of EI, recalling the issues behind this year's message "Every Child Needs a Teacher".

    Open letter to all affiliates: Every Child Needs a Teacher
  8. News 27 March 2006

    UK: AUT-NATFHE Conference on Brain Drain

    On March 23, EI affiliates the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the University and College Lecturers’ Union (NATFHE) organised a conference on “Brain Drain” as the final stage of a two-year project on the subject, which had its origins within the EI’s higher education debates.

    UK: AUT-NATFHE Conference on Brain Drain
  9. News 24 March 2006

    Union fury as employers ban unions from pay dispute talks

    EI affiliates the AUT and NATFHE have reacted with astonishment and anger at news today that the Universities and Colleges Employers (Ucea) Association have gone back on a commitment to meet them next week to try and resolve the current pay dispute for higher education staff.

    Union fury as employers ban unions from pay dispute talks
  10. News 22 March 2006

    EI at the 9th ESIB Convention

    EI recently attended a convention held by the "National Unions of Students in Europe" (ESIB) from 10-14 March in Vienna, Austria, on the "Higher Education and the Lisbon strategy ". EI was also part of a panel on a discussion session entitled "Who cares? Who dares?" on the "Lisbon strategy...

    EI at the 9th ESIB Convention
  11. News 21 March 2006

    EI Pan-European Standing Commitee for Higher Education and Research met in Sesimbra

    The EI Pan-European Standing Commitee for Higher Education and Research conducted a meeting recently in Sesimbra, Portugal, from 16-18 March, with a seminar on the "New Developments in Higher Education and Research: Consequences for the academic personnel" within the framework of the ETUCE-TRACE Project.

    EI Pan-European Standing Commitee for Higher Education and Research met in Sesimbra
  12. News 17 March 2006

    New Zealand: Pay Parity for Early Childhood Education Teachers

    EI affiliate NZEI Te Riu Roa and the New Zealand Childcare Association/Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa have negotiated pay parity with principals and deputy principals in primary schools for more than 400 teachers in leadership positions in 181 early childhood education centres throughout New Zealand.

    New Zealand: Pay Parity for Early Childhood Education Teachers
  13. News 15 March 2006

    Nigeria: Affiliate faults Implementation of Universal Basic Education

    EI affiliate the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has faulted the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programmes in the country, saying that the fundamental principles and policy of UBE are being compromised.

    Nigeria: Affiliate faults Implementation of Universal Basic Education
  14. News 7 March 2006

    UK: Lecturers begin strike action

    Members of EI affiliates the AUT and NATFHE are taking strike action today because they say promises to use new money coming into the higher education sector to improve staff pay have been broken.

    UK: Lecturers begin strike action
  15. News 3 March 2006

    UK: Unions join together to fight against tuition fee increases

    A coalition of EI affiliates in the UK have joined the National Union of Students (NUS) to fight against any tuition fee increases in the run up to a funding review planned for 2008. This could result in the removal of the £3,000 cap on tuition fees by 2010.

    UK: Unions join together to fight against tuition fee increases