Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

"Obtaining a quality education underpins a range of fundamental development drivers. Major progress has been made towards increasing access to education at all levels, particularly for women and girls.

Basic literacy skills across the world have improved tremendously, yet bolder efforts are needed to achieve universal education goals for all. For example, the world has achieved equality in primary education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of education."

Target 4.1: Free primary and secondary education.

Indicator 4.1.1 is the 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.

Target 4.2: Equal access to quality pre-primary education.

Indicator 4.2.1 is the proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex.

Indicator 4.2.2 is the participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex.

Target 4.3: Equal access to affordable technical, vocational and higher education.

Indicator 4.3.1 is the participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex.

Target 4.4: Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success.

Indicator 4.4.1 is the Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill.

Target 4.5: Eliminate all discrimination in education.

Indicator 4.5.1 is Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators.

Target 4.6: Universal literacy and numeracy.

Indicator 4.6.1 is the 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: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship.

 Indicator 4.7.1 is the extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights, are mainstreamed at all levels in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.

Target 4.A: Build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools.

Indicator 4.A.1 is the proportion of schools with access to (a) electricity; (b) the Internet for pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f) single-sex basic sanitation facilities; and (g) basic handwashing facilities (as per the WASH indicator definitions).

Target 4.B: Expand higher education scholarships for developing countries.

Indicator 4.B.1 is the volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships.

Target 4.C: Increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries.

Indicator 4.C.1 is the proportion of teachers in (a) pre-primary; (b) primary; (c) lower secondary; and (d) upper secondary education who have received at least the minimum organized teacher training (e.g. pedagogical training) pre-service or in-service required for teaching at the relevant level in a given country. Go to goal 5.