SDG 4: Quality Education & Lifelong Learning Opportunities

SDG 4: QUALITY EDUCATION & LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

SPECIFIC TARGETS     

• Primary and Secondary Education:
  • 4.1: Ensure all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education by 2030.
  • 4.2: Ensure access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education.
• Technical and Vocational Education:
  • 4.3: Ensure equal access to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education by 2030.
  • 4.4: Increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
• Equity and Inclusion:
  • 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities and ensure equal access to education for all vulnerable groups.
  • 4.6: Ensure all youth and a substantial proportion of adults achieve literacy and numeracy.
• Sustainable Development:
  • 4.7: Ensure learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including education for sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, and global citizenship.
• Infrastructure and Facilities:
  • 4.A: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability, and gender-sensitive, providing safe and effective learning environments.
• Teacher Supply:
  • 4.C: Increase the supply of qualified teachers through international cooperation, especially in developing countries.

AIM OF THIS GOAL

• Ensure all girls and boys complete primary and secondary education by 2030.
• Provide equal access to affordable vocational training.
• Eliminate gender and wealth disparities in education.
• Achieve universal access to quality higher education.
• Promote lifelong learning opportunities to improve adult literacy and numeracy.
• Build and upgrade education facilities to be child, disability, and gender-sensitive.

CURRENT STATUS

• Pre-Pandemic Trends: Progress towards quality education was already slower than necessary to meet the 2030 targets before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic caused significant learning losses, with 80% of 104 countries studied experiencing setbacks.
• Future Projections: Without additional measures, by 2030, an estimated 84 million children and young people will be out of school, and approximately 300 million students will lack basic numeracy and literacy skills.

Key Achievements:

• Between 2015 and 2021, there was an increase in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school completion rates globally.
• Despite this, the rate of progress has been slower compared to the previous 15 years.

SDG 4 & INDIA

SDG Index Score for Goal 4:

• States: Scores range between 32 and 82.
• UTs: Scores range between 53 and 85.
• Top Performers:
  • States: Kerala
  • UTs: Delhi
• Front Runners: 11 States and five UTs with scores between 65 and 100 (excluding 100).
• Aspirants: 6 States with scores less than 50.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE KEY INDICATORS

1. Enrolment Ratio in Elementary Education

• • National Average: Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate (ANER) is 5%.
  • Top States: 13 States and 1 UT have 100% enrolment.
  • Lowest Enrolment:
    • States: Nagaland (80.3%)
    • UTs: Ladakh (67.8%)

2. Dropout Rate at Secondary Level

• • National Average: 12.6%
  • Best Performers: Manipur (1.3%), Chandigarh and Lakshadweep (0%)
  • Highest Dropout: Odisha (27.3%)
• Enrolment Ratio in Higher Secondary
  • National Average: Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is 57.6%.
  • Top States: Himachal Pradesh (94.1%), Nagaland (35.8%)
  • Top UT: Delhi (94.9%)
• Student Proficiency in Class VIII
  • National Average: 77.23% of students achieve minimum proficiency in language and mathematics.
  • Top States: Punjab (91.5%), Haryana (87%)
  • Top UT: Chandigarh (90.5%)
• Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education
  • National Average: 28.4% of students aged 18–23 years.
  • Top States: Tamil Nadu (47%)
  • Top UT: Chandigarh (64.8%)
  • Lowest State: Assam (16.9%)
• Education Level Among Persons with Disability
  • National Average: 19.3% have completed secondary education.
  • Highest State: Goa (32.4%)
  • Lowest State: Arunachal Pradesh (10.3%)
• Gender Parity in Higher Education
  • National Average: Gender Parity Index (GPI) is 1.01.
  • Top States/UTs: 18 States and all UTs have achieved gender parity.
  • Lowest State: Odisha (GPI of 0.88)
• Literacy Levels
  • National Average: 76.7% literacy among those aged 15 years and above.
  • Highest State: Mizoram (99.3%)
  • Lowest State: Bihar (67.3%)
  • Highest UT: Lakshadweep (97.8%)
  • Lowest UT: Jammu and Kashmir (74.4%)
• Infrastructure in Schools
  • National Average: 88.65% of schools have basic infrastructure (electricity and drinking water).
  • Top States: Tamil Nadu and Goa (100%)
  • Lowest State: Meghalaya (20.5%)
  • Top UTs: Chandigarh, Delhi, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (100%)
• Schools with Computers
  • National Average: 47.5% of schools have computers.
  • Top UTs: Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep (100%)
  • Closest State: Punjab (99.6%)
  • Farthest State: Meghalaya (18.3%)
• Trained Teachers
  • National Average: 92.2% of teachers in secondary schools are trained.
  • Top States: Tamil Nadu (99.9%)
  • Top UT: Chandigarh (99.1%)
  • Lowest State: Meghalaya (62%)
• Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR)
  • National Average: 18:1
  • Best State: Himachal Pradesh (6:1)
  • States Yet to Achieve Target: Jharkhand and Bihar

Note: Connect with Vajirao & Reddy Institute to keep yourself updated with latest UPSC Current Affairs in English.

Note: We upload Current Affairs Except Sunday.