In the recent news, a consultation meeting of Education Ministers from E9 countries took place. The theme of the meeting was “E9 initiative: Scaling up digital learning to accelerate progress towards SDG4”.
Scaling up Digital Learning to Accelerate Progress Towards SDG4: An Overview
The United Nations (UN) is leading a global initiative focusing on digital learning and skills for all. This aims to bridge the gap in the digital divide and drive radical improvements in education systems. The initiative targets disadvantaged children and youth predominantly. The focus lies on three out of the five key priorities highlighted in the 2020 Global Education Meeting (GEM) Declaration: supporting teachers; investing in skills; and minimizing the digital divide. In the immediate term, the E9 nations offer a stepping stone to expedite progress on digital learning and skills, and in the long-term, to contribute significantly to the SDG4 agenda.
E9 Countries and Their Role in Global Education
The E9 partnership, first forged in 1993, was aimed at achieving the objectives of UNESCO’s Education For All (EFA). The E9 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan) strive to strengthen political will and collective efforts to provide quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. The E9 partnership is working towards the achievement of SDG4 – Education 2030.
History of Education For All (EFA) Initiative
An international endeavor, EFA was first kicked off at the World Conference on Education for All by UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the World Bank in Thailand in 1990. Participants pledged to popularize primary education and drastically reduce illiteracy by the end of the decade. After a decade, with many nations lagging behind in achieving this goal, a broad coalition of national governments, civil society groups, and development agencies reaffirmed their commitment to realizing EFA by the year 2015 at a meeting in Dakar, Senegal. They identified six key education objectives to cater to the learning needs of all children, youth, and adults by 2015 (per the Dakar Framework for Action).
The 2020 Global Education Meeting Declaration
In response to Covid-19 and as part of the Decade of Action to speed up progress on SDG4, the 2020 GEM Declaration highlighted five urgent action points: education financing; safe school reopening; supporting teachers as frontline workers; investment in skills; and addressing the digital divide. The Covid-19 crisis exposed the vulnerability and lack of readiness of the current global education systems, propelling the need for digital learning during widespread school closures across most countries.
Understanding SDG4
For mainstreaming sustainable development, the United Nations (UN) member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. These include 17 goals and 169 specific targets to be achieved by 2030. Although the SDGs are not legally binding, they provide a framework for development. Among these, SDG4 aims to ensure inclusive and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Source: PIB