SDGs in focus: SDG 4 and interlinkages with other SDGs - Quality education

Access to quality education and lifelong learning is a means for escaping poverty and an enabler of progress across the 2030 Agenda. Empowered learners can lead the way in achieving the SDGs and in tackling the critical challenges of our time including the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution; social unravelling due to mistrust, hate and violence; and pressures against multilateralism and global citizenship. When SDG 4 was reviewed in 2019, the world was off track to meet the education commitments by 2030. It was facing a learning crisis due to shortcomings in education quality, equity and inclusiveness particularly for girls, the poor and conflict-affected populations. Then COVID-19 further disrupted learning and exacerbated educational inequalities across the world. Temporary closure of schools impacted more than 91 per cent of students worldwide with 1.6 billion children out of school including nearly 369 million children who rely on school meals for daily nutrition.

This session will explore lessons learned during the COVID-19 crisis and how responses can be directed toward the provision of quality education and lifelong learning for everyone. It will consider how innovations in learning that emerged during the crisis, including through digital technologies, can boost access and quality rather than exacerbate inequalities. This session will consider the co-benefits SDG 4 can have with other Goals and contribute an interlinked perspective to the Summit for Transforming Education.

Proposed guiding questions:

What are the major impacts of COVID-19 on education and lifelong learning that risk pushing back progress towards SDG 4 and other SDGs?
How can recovery from the pandemic be used to accelerate progress in education in ways that contribute to all three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental? Are there strong examples of how education and training systems are supporting just transitions to green economies?
What innovations have emerged during the pandemic that hold promise for inclusive education, including those that address challenges for girls, and how can they be scaled up?
How should the education sector be transformed to better contribute to building aware and engaged global citizens who can be change-makers? How can education contribute to building trust in science and in institutions?
What opportunities does the Transforming Education Summit offer for overcoming barriers to accessing quality education and life-long learning for everyone? What are some policy changes that can happen now, what actions could be taken over the next year, and what are some longer-term commitments that need to be started now?

Chair:

Vice President of ECOSOC (Bolivia)

Keynote addresses:

Mr. Leonardo Garnier, Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Transforming Education Summit

Highlights:

Highlights of the report of the Secretary-General on progress towards the SDGs – SDG 4 on Quality education:
Ms. Haoyi Chen, Statistics Division of UNDESA

Presentations on innovations on education featured in the Voluntary National Reviews:

Ms. Joy-Marie King, Director of International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration, Antigua and Barbuda
Ms. Natia Tsikaradze, Head of the Strategic Planning and Coordination Unit, Policy Planning and Coordination Department, Administration of the Government of Georgia, National Coordinator of Sustainable Development Goals

Interactive panel discussion

Moderator:

Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education (Leading the Secretariat for the Transforming Education Summit)

Resource Persons:

Mr. Omar Abdi, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programmes
Ms. Sheam Satkuru, Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organization
Mr. Charles North, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education
Ms. Susan Hopgood, President of Education International
Ms. Doris Mwikali, SDG4 Youth Network representative to the SDG 4 Education 2030 High-level Steering Committee Sherpa Group

Lead Discussants:

Ms. Koumbou Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education
Ms. Victoria Huallpa Mamani, member of ATD Fourth World in El Alto, Bolivia
Ms. Madeleine Zuniga, Vice President and founding member of Foro Educativo, Peru (MGoG)

Respondents:

H.E. Mr. David Moinina Sengeh, Minister of Basic Education of Sierra Leone, and Co-chair of the Advisory committee for Transforming Education Summit
H.E. Ms Li Andersson, Minister for Education of Finland
H.E. Ms. Sahondrarimalala Marie Michelle, Minister of Education of Madagascar
H.E. Mr. José Mauricio Pineda, Minister of Education of El Salvador ad interim
H.E. Mr. Ishikane Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, and Chair of the Group of Friends for education