How are we measuring the impact of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education?

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4:  Quality Education as a global metric to ensure inclusive and equitable quality formal education and promote lifelong opportunities for all.    

The United Nations projects the following statistics globally by 2030, without any further actions:

·       84 million children and youth will not be in school

·       300 million students will lack basic literacy skills

·       Only 1 in 6 countries will achieve universal secondary school targets

To address these potential 2030 statistics, the United Nations brought member countries together and the following was agreed to:

·       Universal primary and secondary education

·       Early childhood development and university pre-primary education

·       Equal access to vocational studies

·       Universal youth literacy

·       Education for sustainable growth and global citizenship

I have been implementing global development programs for the past 25+ years.  Universal quality education does not exist everywhere.  But it could exist, if all governments’ institutions made it a priority.  Education is part of the solution to breaking generations of poverty in families, communities, and countries.  We need to remove the barriers to receiving a quality education for all children, youth, and adults worldwide. 

How does your organization contribute to SDG4:  Quality Education?