UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU CAN DRIVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 4 (EDUCATION)

Copy-edited by Donna Jensen, May 2026

WHAT ARE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)?

Developed by the United Nations, its Member States, civil society and subject-matter experts, the SDGs build on the momentum of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) continuing the most ambitious global human development program in the history of our society.

There are 17 SDGs that are integrated and indivisible. They balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global inter-governmental commitment and a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity to accomplish.

HOW EDUCATION IS ARTICULATED IN THE 2030 AGENDA

Education is central to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG4 ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It is a stand-alone goal with its seven outcome targets and three means of implementation. And, SDG4 has a universal agenda applicable to all countries both in the Global North as well as the Global South.

Education is recognized as a goal that cuts across all other SDGs, driving their success. Education is central to attain goals in health, gender equality, economic growth and employment, sustainable consumption and production, and climate change mitigation.

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF SDG4

• Education is a fundamental human and enabling right.
• Education is a public benefit where it is mainly the state that has the duty to protect, respect, and fulfill this right.
• Realizing the right to quality education is a shared responsibility of all parts of society – from families and educators to organizations and individuals in the private sector.
• Gender equality is inextricably linked to the right to education for all.

THE SDG4 SEVEN ACHIEVABLE TARGETS FOR 2030

1. Ensure that all children complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.
2. Ensure that all children have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education.
3. Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education.
4. Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills – including technical and vocational ones – for adequate and decent employment, and entrepreneurship
5. Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable.
6. Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
7. Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.

THREE DIMENSIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION FOR SDG4?

1. Build and upgrade education facilities for inclusive and effective learning.
2. Substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries for enrollment in higher education.
3. Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including international cooperation for training teachers in developing countries.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SDG4 AND EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA)

SDG4 continues the EFA focus on quality primary education and broadens it to include post-primary education and training for youth and adults through equitable access to appropriate learning opportunities.

THE INCHEON DECLARATION

Constituting the education community commitment to Education 2030, this South Korean declaration entrusts UNESCO to lead, coordinate and be the focal point for education within the overall SDG collaboration.

EDUCATION 2030 FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

The Framework for Action translates into practice the commitments made at Incheon at country, regional and global level and provides guidance for implementing Education 2030.

Has Canada made the right amount of commitments to implementing SDG4? Ask your Minister of Education!

In 2015, one hundred and ninety-three countries – all U.N. Member States – unanimously accepted SDG4 to bring quality, equitable, inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities to their citizens.

SOME EARLY COMMITMENTS

In early days, countries expressed their commitments to the development of conditions that are conducive to the SDG4 implementation.

Each July, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) of ECOSOC — the U.N. central platform for SDG follow-up — reviews country-led Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to track implementation commitments, including those for SDG4.

Although 22 countries were reviewed, here are a number of commitments prioritized by some of our NFA countries:

Priorities in national implementation:

• France and Switzerland: Importance of consultation with expert groups and vital implementing of sustainable development within all national priorities.
• Switzerland and Mexico: Importance of overlap of SDGs with other international instruments and importance of international collaboration in enhancement of its national implementation.

Challenging national circumstances and commitments to be prioritized:

• Sierra Leone and Mexico: Reduction of high levels of poverty.
• Sierra Leone and Uganda: Less dependence on natural resources and agriculture; uncertain commodity prices.
• Egypt and Uganda: Rapidly growing populations and outstripping supplies.
• Sierra Leone, France, Uganda, Egypt: High unemployment rates particularly among youth.

Priorities from assessment of implementation of SDGs:

• Turkey and Switzerland: Have prioritized the alignment of SDGs with national priorities after conducting an alignment analysis and gap analysis, respectively.
• Mexico: Prioritizing making information available to the public and improving statistical capacities.
• Turkey: Prioritizing greater stakeholder ownership.
• Norway: Placing emphasis on what the universality of the 2030 Agenda means for its country; addressing both national and international dimensions of SDGs.

WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING SDG4

• In your country’s National Plan for SDG4.
• If your country has completed its plan, your regional office of the Department of Education will have a copy. Be forewarned: it will not be an easy read! Unless you are used to reading government literature, ask for a summary or highlights.

WHAT IS IN A COUNTRY’S NATIONAL PLAN

National plans contextualize SDG4 goals, outcome targets and indicators of success. In other words, global commitments will have been translated into commitments that fit its needs and respond to its unique set of national circumstances.

SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SDG4

1. Make understanding and working on SDG4 a priority. Individuals can work on this but working in a group will be easier and more rewarding. You may also collaborate with another NFA – an opportunity to support each other.
2. Increase your knowledge of SDG4, help to create awareness and understanding with members, colleagues, family, friends and other NFAs.
3. Attend community-based, education-related, government- conducted focus-group meetings. If you are diffident, know that advocacy comes with listening and learning.
4. Participate in discussions about SDG4 within your community, ensuring they have diverse representation like educators, parents, youth, First Nations and others.
5. Provide input to “country-readiness” assessment tools that your government may be using so they include all important criteria for a productive assessment.
6. Monitor how your government mainstreams its commitments and targets in its education policy priorities and budgets. Advocate for additional resources, education priorities for women and girls, a realistic timeline , and the establishment of meaningful benchmarks.
7. Finally, remember that global policies will continue to impact the implementation of SDG4 within your country no matter how contextualized its goals, strategies and targets.

References:
The Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016