Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Quality Education is all about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of who they are or where they live. It goes beyond just going to school; it focuses on learning useful skills for work and life. This goal aims to provide safe schools, trained teachers, and lifelong learning opportunities so everyone can reach their full potential.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Quality Education is all about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of who they are or where they live. It goes beyond just going to school; it focuses on learning useful skills for work and life. This goal aims to provide safe schools, trained teachers, and lifelong learning opportunities so everyone can reach their full potential.
Introduction to Goal 4
A curriculum designed for Goal 4 that inspires the values and competencies behind this mission for grades 5-12.
Featured Lesson: Creative Writing
Unlocking the Flow with Stream of Consciousness Writing
Dive into Goal 4 through the lens of creative writing. This lesson provides hands-on activities and creative exploration designed to bring the concepts to life for students.
Lessons
Art Exploration
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through art.
Classroom Capers: Drama for Education
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through drama.
Dancing to Learn
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through dance/movement.
Music for Knowledge: Creating Education Anthems
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through music.
My School of Tomorrow: Safe and Super Learning Spaces
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through art.
Stream of Consciousness Writing for a World of Quality Education
Explore Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all through creative writing.
These learning objectives are organized into five categories that together form a comprehensive approach to understanding and engaging with this goal.
Knowledge
- •
Identify and define the key aspects of quality education, including access to learning, safe and welcoming school environments, and engaging learning opportunities.
(Cr1.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Recognize that everyone deserves a great education, and understand that there are challenges in making this happen for all children around the world.
(Cn10.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Understand that education helps people learn and grow throughout their lives and prepare for the future.
(Cn10.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS)
Discourse
- •
Explore and describe how messages and ideas about education are expressed through various art forms (visual art, creative writing, dance, drama, music) by reflecting on visuals, words, movement, sounds, and stories.
(Re7.1.MS, Re8.1.MS) - •
Participate in respectful discussions about what makes a school safe, welcoming, and fun for learning, and how people can help ensure quality education for everyone.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Communicate their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about Global Goal 4: Quality Education through creative expression in various artistic mediums.
(Cr3.1.MS)
Attitudes
- •
Develop empathy and appreciation for the diverse learning experiences of others, understanding the importance of fair and inclusive opportunities for all students.
(Re8.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Appreciate the fundamental value of education as a tool for personal growth, community development, and positive change in the world.
(Cn11.1.MS) - •
Cultivate a curious and open mindset towards learning new things and considering how to create better educational environments for everyone.
(Re9.1.MS)
Capacity
- •
Develop critical thinking skills by observing and discussing how different artistic elements (like colors, shapes, rhythms, movements, or descriptive words) can represent challenges and solutions related to quality education.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn10.1.MS) - •
Practice collaboration and communication skills through engaging in group art projects, shared writing activities, and coordinated movement, drama, or musical performances to tell stories about learning and education.
(Cr2.1.MS, Pr5.1.MS) - •
Develop creative expression skills through purposeful experimentation with diverse artistic mediums (visual art, creative writing, dance, drama, music) to communicate their understandings and feelings about quality education.
(Cr3.1.MS)
Action
- •
Identify simple and age appropriate actions they can take to contribute to a positive learning environment in their own classroom or school (e.g., being inclusive, helping a classmate, keeping spaces tidy).
(Pr6.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Participate in collaborative artistic projects that creatively express messages of hope and support for quality education for all.
(Cr3.1.MS, Pr6.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS) - •
Reflect on their personal role in fostering a welcoming and effective learning environment, encouraging a sense of responsible global citizenship in working towards quality education for everyone.
(Re9.1.MS, Cn11.1.MS)
Empowering youth to become active agents of change in the pursuit of inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Recognizing that even small, consistent actions can contribute to a larger global impact.
Taking Action Beyond the Classroom
Here are ways your students can extend their learning and apply their understanding of Global Goal 4 in their wider community and beyond.
Become Education Storytellers: Choose a favorite piece created in the lessons (e.g., School of Tomorrow artwork, a powerful sentence from the stream of consciousness writing, recording of the Education Anthem). Share with family, friends, or local community groups (like a library reading hour, a scout meeting, or community center). This allows you to tell a powerful story with your art about why quality education matters for everyone
Concrete Action: Aim to share your creative work with at least three people outside of school.
Design a Kindness Kit for Schools: Brainstorm practical items that could make a new student feel welcome or create a calm space in a classroom. Collect or create some of these items to donate to new students in your own school or a local elementary school.
Concrete Action: Organize a Kindness Kit drive in your classroom or school to collect items for new students.
Our Community's Learning Map: Create a map (physical or digital) of all the places in your community where people can learn, beyond just your school. This could include the library, museums, parks, community centers, or even local businesses. This helps to see lifelong learning opportunities around you and appreciate diverse learning spaces (connect to Target 4.1 and 4.a).
Concrete Action: Create a Community Learning Map to share with family, friends, or display in a public space, like the school lobby or local community center board.
Research a Global Learning Hero: Research a real person from another country who faced challenges to get an education, or who helped others get an education. Write a short paragraph or draw a picture of this Global Learning Hero, explaining how their story connects to Global Goal 4 (link to Targets 4.1 and 4.5). This expands understanding of global education disparities and triumphs.
Concrete Action: Research a Global Learning Hero and present your findings to family, your class, or someone in the community.
Launch a School Supply Swap: Inspired by the idea of ensuring everyone has enough to learn with (Target 4.1), organize a School Supply Swap, event at school or in your neighborhood/community. Students can bring in gently used school supplies they no longer need and swap them for items they do, or donate extra supplies to a local charity.
Concrete Action: Plan and execute a School Supply Swap event once a year to redistribute usable school materials.
Benchmarking Progress
A quick view of the official UN targets for this goal paired with the indicators that track global progress. Use these to connect classroom inquiry with real-world data.
Target 4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
Indicators
- 4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex.
- 4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education).
Target 4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality and early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
Indicators
- 4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24-59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex.
- 4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex.
Target 4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
Indicators
- 4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex.
Target 4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
Indicators
- 4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
Target 4.5
By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
Indicators
- 4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data becomes available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated.
Target 4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
Indicators
- 4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex.
Target 4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.
Indicators
- 4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment.
Target 4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
Indicators
- 4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service.
Target 4.b
By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrollment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries.
Indicators
- 4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study.
Target 4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States.
Indicators
- 4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level.