Speaking Notes for GEM 2016 Launches. Unpacking SDG 4 Education 2030

Transcription

1 Speaking Notes for GEM 2016 Launches Unpacking SDG 4 Education 2030 Slide 1 - Unpacking SDG4: Education 2030 This presentation attempts to clarify the vision and scope of education in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It then attempts to unpack the key features of SG4 targets and focus areas and examines the potential implications for national education development efforts, including for monitoring. The presentation begins by quickly recalling the backdrop that gave rise to the 2030 Agenda as well as the vision and principles that guide education in the sustainable development agenda. Slide 2 - Paradoxes and Tensions: Associated with societal development The world is characterized by paradoxical development trends. There are three main paradoxes/contradictions: 1. Greater wealth but rising vulnerability and inequality: While the global poverty rate has been reduced by half since 2000 (mostly because of growth in India and China), we observe: - Low employment growth declining job quality Increasing vulnerability - Increasing inequalities across and within countries [Wealth more concentrated in the hands of a few: 50% of world s wealth in the hands of 1% of world pop] - This trend is undermining social cohesion in all societies across the world 2. Ecological stress and unsustainable patterns of consumption and production: Global growth has been accompanied by increasing ecological stress and unstainable patterns of consumption and production: - The world population tripled between Water food consumption has increased 2.5 times between and wood consumption 3 times - Urbanisation and the expansion of middle class lifestyles has led to the depletion of non-renewable natural resources and to climate change 3. Growing interconnectedness and interdependence, yet rising intolerance and conflict: The world is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent: Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 1

2 - With the expansion of internet connectivity, mobile technology and digital media, information and knowledge is more widely available. - It has reduced time and space in human relations and is changing every facet of our lives - Youth today are the most interconnected, most informed, most educated, more aware generation in the history of the world And yet, we are witnessing increasing levels of intolerance, of violence and conflict. Slide 3 Reaffirming a humanistic approach to education and development It is against this backdrop of paradoxical global development trends that UNESCO has recently reaffirmed a humanistic approach to education and development. Such a humanistic approach has a central concern for sustainable development one in which economic growth is guided by environmental stewardship and concern of social justice. It recognizes the diversity of lived realities, of worldviews, of conceptions of human well-being while reaffirming a common core of universal ethical values, including: - Respect for life and human dignity - Equal rights and social justice - Respect for cultural and social diversity - A sense of shared responsibility/commitment to international solidarity and our common future. In this humanistic perspective, the purpose of education in the 21 st century must be to sustain and enhance the dignity, the capacity and the welfare of the human person in relation to others and to nature. It therefore comes as no surprise that education is at the heart of the sustainable development agenda set for Slide 4 Education in the 2030 Agenda The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It is an inter-governmental commitment comprised of 17 aspirational goals and 169 targets that address shared challenges at the global and local levels. The 2030 Agenda is based on an integrated approach to sustainable development. The various dimensions of sustainable development have to be considered holistically as interlinked and being of equal importance. The SDGs are therefore integrated and indivisible. Education is central to the realization of the 2030 Agenda and an integral part of it. Within the comprehensive 2030 Agenda, education is articulated first and foremost as a stand-alone goal (SDG 4) with its seven outcome targets and three means of implementation. Slide 5 Sustainable Development Goal 4 Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 2

3 Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It includes seven outcome targets ranging from early childhood to higher education: - Primary & secondary education for all; - Early childhood development & pre-primary education for all; - Equal access to TVET & higher education; - Relevant skills for work; - Gender equality & equal access for all; - Youth and adult literacy; - Citizenship education for sustainable development It also comprises three means of implementation that have to do with: - Safe and inclusive learning environments; - Scholarships for higher education; and - Teacher training and working conditions. Slide 6 Education-related targets/indicators within other SDGs While education in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is most explicitly formulated as a stand-alone goal (SDG4), there are also a number of education-related targets and/or indicators in other sustainable development goals. These include: - Health and well-being [Target 3.7] - Gender equality [Target 5.6] - Decent work and economic growth [Target 8.6] - Responsible consumption and growth [Target 12.8] - Climate change mitigation [Target 13.3] Since education is not only an integral part of, but also a key enabler for sustainable development, it should be part of the strategies to achieving all SDGs. Importantly, all SDGs are inter-dependent and can only be achieved if implemented together, reinforcing each other. Slide 7 Key Features SDG 4 Education 2030 is comprehensive, holistic, ambitious and aspirational. Principles: Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 3

4 Scope: - The globally shared concern for sustainability implies a universal agenda relevant to all societies both in the global North and the global South. - Applying to all countries in the world, the new global education agenda is based on the principle that Education is a fundamental human right and an enabling right. - Moreover, it considers education as a public good, of which the state is the duty bearer. It sees education as a shared societal endeavor, which implies an inclusive process of public policy formulation and implementation. The new agenda has a broad scope that seeks to expand access to all levels of education and training: Recognizing that the EFA commitment to meet the basic learning needs of all children, youth and adults has not been achieved, SDG 4 includes commitments to ensure: - at least one year of pre-primary education for all - a full cycle of free, publicly-funded quality primary and secondary education of 12 years for all, of which at least nine years are compulsory - universal youth literacy by 2030 leading to effective and relevant learning outcomes for all. In addition, SDG 4 also commits to ensuring equal opportunity in access to post-basic learning opportunities whether through vocational skills development at secondary or post-secondary levels, including through university studies. Offering a holistic approach to education it stresses the importance of lifelong learning. All age groups, including adults, should have opportunities to learn and to continue learning. Focus on equity: SDG 4 includes a renewed focus on inclusion, equity and gender equality. This is particularly explicit in target 4.5 which aims to eliminate gender disparities and ensure more equitable access to all levels of education and vocational training for vulnerable populations. Focus on quality: - Moreover, SDG 4 includes a renewed focus on effective learning and the acquisition of basic competencies. This is evident in the targets and global indicators for primary and secondary education (4.1), as well as for youth and adult literacy (4.6). - What is new in the SDG 4 is the focus on the relevance of learning, both in terms of vocational and technical skills for decent work (4.4), as well as competencies for citizenship in a plural, interdependent, and interconnected world (Target 4.7). Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 4

5 Slide 8 Framework for Action Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the international education community developed and adopted the Education 2030 Framework for Action. Inspired by, and building on, the 2015 Incheon Declaration, the Education 2030 Framework for Action provides guidance for the implementation of SDG 4 at the global, regional and national levels. The first part of the framework recalls the vision and principles of SDG4-Education The second part provides rationales and shared understanding of each of the ten targets, suggests ways to achieve them. The third part proposes implementation modalities. Slide 9 Strategic approaches and Indicative strategies At its core, the Framework for Action Moreover, proposes indicative strategies for the targets, covering issues such as: - Policy and Planning - Systems strengthening - Teaching, learning and curriculum - Capacity development - Evaluation and assessment The Framework for Action recommends a set of strategic approaches to deliver on SDG4-Education 2030 focusing on: - Strengthening policies, plans, legislation and systems; - Emphasizing equity, inclusion and gender equality; - Focusing on quality and learning; - Promoting lifelong learning; - Addressing education in emergency situations. Slide 10 & 11 Implications for national education development efforts The following two slides present the practical implications of SDG 4-Education 2030 for national development efforts: Slide 10: The following two slides present the practical implications of key features of SDG 4-Education 2030 for national development efforts: As a universally-relevant agenda, SDG 4 Education 2030 is a collective commitment of all countries regardless of their level of development. This has implications for: - patterns of cooperation, partnerships, and coordination among stakeholders within and across countries. Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 5

6 - The inter-linkages between SDGs require going beyond a silo approach to education. - Any strategies that aim to realize SDG 4, and ultimately all SDGs, should be based on an intersectoral coordination mechanism that is linked to the wider SDG coordination. The commitment to universal youth literacy, to at least one-year of pre-primary education, to 12 years of public and free primary and secondary education (of which at least nine years are compulsory), and to equal opportunity in access to post-basic education and training may require - Adjustment/strengthening of national legislation that ensures to right to basic education for all and non-discrimination in access to post-basic levels. - Sector-wide approach: The fact that the SDG 4-Education 2030 concerns all levels of formal and non-formal education, as well as learners of all age groups, requires a truly sector-wide approach to education policy, planning, and coordination. - A lifelong learning approach requires a system of recognition, validation and accreditation of learning and competencies acquired outside formal education and training institutions. Recognition, validation and accreditation is essential for the establishment and facilitation of pathways between formal and less formal learning opportunities, as well as between education, training and work. - The ambition of the SDG 4 - Education 2030 agenda to expand access to learning opportunities for all throughout life places greater pressure on public funding of education. At the same time, there is also a need to ensure more efficient use of scarce resources and to promote greater accountability in the use of public resources for education. These all point to the need for complementary or new ways to increase public education budgets through greater fiscal capacity, innovative partnerships with non-state actors, as well as through advocacy for increased official development assistance. Slide 11: A focus on equity implies: - Inclusive policy dialogue that allows for diverse constituencies to have greater voice in decisionmaking processes and strengthens the legitimacy of national education policy choices. - Targeted strategies to allow learners from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to overcome (financial, social and/or cultural) barriers that may impede on their access to quality learning opportunities. - Access to more reliable and disaggregated data to monitor inequality in educational opportunity, as well as strengthened national/local capacity to analyse data on participation and learning outcomes at all levels. The focus on effective acquisition of basic competencies may require: Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 6

7 - Review of existing curricula contents and approaches, including teaching and learning methods, classroom and school management practices, formative and summative assessment frameworks - Review of initial and in-service teacher training and professional development practices. - A holistic and coherent curricular approach will require alignment between curriculum content, assessment, teacher training, as well as school leadership and management. A focus on relevant learning requires fairer and more balanced mechanisms for capturing and validating knowledge, skills and competencies across a broader spectrum of learners expectations and thus greater flexibility in assessment practice. Moreover, the focus on the effective acquisition of competencies and the relevance of learning for the world of work and civic life requires the establishment or the strengthening of national quality assurance and qualification frameworks. A focus on equity implies inclusive policy dialogue that allows for diverse constituencies to have greater voice in decision making process and ensure the legitimacy of national education policy choices. Ensuring equity and inclusion would need well-designed strategies for targeting the groups that are most vulnerable and disadvantaged in terms of access to quality learning opportunities. Monitoring progress towards SDG 4 Education 2030 implementation from an equity lens will require having access to more reliable and disaggregated data, as well as the strengthened capacity to analyse data on participation and learning outcomes at all levels. The focus on effective and relevant learning may require review of existing curricula frameworks; teaching and learning contents, pedagogy, materials and classroom teaching practice; assessment frameworks; as well as teacher training and professional development. A holistic and coherent curricular approach will require alignment between curriculum content, assessment, teacher training, as well as school leadership and management. A focus on effective and relevant learning requires fairer and more balanced mechanisms for capturing and validating knowledge, skills and competencies across a broader spectrum of learners expectations and thus greater flexibility in assessment practice. Moreover, the Focus on the effective acquisition of competencies and the relevance of learning for the world of work and civic life requires the establishment or the strengthening of national quality assurance and qualification frameworks. Slide 12 Governance, accountability and partnerships The central aim of the SDG 4-Education 2030 implementation mechanisms is to support countryled action. To be most effective, mechanisms will be inclusive, participatory and transparent building to the extent possible on existing structures. Fundamental to the new agenda are legal and policy frameworks that promote accountability and transparency as well as participatory Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 7

8 governance and coordinated partnerships at all levels and across sectors, and to uphold the right to participation of all stakeholders. While governments have the primary responsibility to deliver on the right to education, the delivery on the ambitious new global education agenda will require strong and multifaceted partnerships, including the SDG 4-Education 2030 co-convening agencies and international organisations, NGOs, civil society, youth organizations, teachers and educators, communities and parents, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and foundations. Slide 13 UNESCO support for SDG4 implementation UNESCO supports implementation of SDG through a range of functions at different levels: At the global/regional levels: - The Incheon Declaration and the Education 2030 Framework for Action mandates UNESCO to lead and coordinate SDG4-Education 2030, including through advocacy to sustain political commitment and ensure resource mobilization; convening global, regional and national stakeholders; facilitating policy dialogue and knowledge-sharing as well as through standardsetting. - UNESCO is also mandated to monitor progress towards the education targets, in particular through the work of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring Report. At the country level, UNESCOs network of sections, institutes and field offices can provide technical support and help strengthen capacity for: - Sector-wide and sub-sectoral policy reviews in such areas as Higher Education, School curriculum, Teacher policies, Literacy, Technical and vocational skills development - Sector-wide planning, management and monitoring. Slide 14 - Ensuring articulation between national, regional and global coordination The successful implementation of SDG 4-Education 2030 depends in effective coordination at the national, regional and global level. At the national level governments need to ensure appropriate coordination of SDG 4-Education It is recommended that education coordination mechanisms: - Be government-led - Be inclusive and ensure participation of all stakeholders - Avoid duplication by building on existing structures to the extent possible. - Adopt a truly system-wide approach that covers all levels and types of educational provision - Go beyond the silo of the education sector and ensure linkage with the broader SDG coordination in the country. Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 8

9 Regional coordination is essential to support national education development efforts and to ensure harmonization between efforts at the global and country levels. A regional coordination mechanism can: - Develop effective and accountable multi-stakeholder partnerships and a shared, institutionalized strategy to support implementation at country level. - Develop a mutual support strategy for regional actors to collaboratively plan, monitor, review and report on progress towards the SDGs and SDG 4. - Play a critical role in facilitating sub-regional cooperation as appropriate and advancing common efforts on monitoring progress. The global coordination mechanism of Education 2030, working within the wider 2030 Agenda architecture, is the totality of the relevant structures and processes, including the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, the Global Education Meetings (GEMs), high-level meetings, regional meetings and the Collective Consultation of NGOs on Education for All (CCNGO). (Below is information on the SDG-Education Steering Committee, in case more details are required) The SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, is an inclusive multi-stakeholder body. It is composed of representatives from Member States, representing the majority, as well as representatives from the SDG 4-Education 2030 Convening Agencies, international organizations and funding mechanisms, regional organizations, NGOs and teacher organizations The Steering Committee is co-chaired by a Member State and UNESCO. The overall objective of the Steering Committee is to support Member States and Partners to achieve SDG4 and education-related targets. In more detail, the Steering Committee is mandated to provide strategic guidance and recommendations to Member States and global education community for implementation; ensure linkages between education stakeholders, existing bodies and broader SDG architecture at different levels; review progress towards SDG4; build strong partnerships and joint advocacy activities; monitor, advocate for and mobilize resources; and word towards harmonization and coordination of partner activities. Slide 15 Monitoring, follow-up and review Monitoring, follow-up and review at national, regional and global levels are essential for achievement of SDG 4-Education 2030 targets. As the primary responsibility for monitoring lies at the national level, countries should build up effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms, adapted to national priorities, in consultation with civil society. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics remains the official source of cross-nationally comparable data on education. It supports countries to strengthen national data systems. The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) is the global mechanism for monitoring and reporting on SDG4 and on education in the other SDGs. It also reports on the implementation of national, regional and international strategies to help hold all relevant partners to account for their commitments as part of the overall SDG follow-up and review. Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 9

10 Slide 16 Indicators to monitor SDG4 progress There are four levels of indicators to monitor SDG 4: At the international level, there are 11 global indicators proposed for monitoring SDG 4. These 11 global indicators represent the minimum set of indicators proposed to countries for the global monitoring of the SDG 4 targets. A broader set of internationally-comparable indicators are also being developed. These thematic indicators serve to chart global progress on education and to monitor the SDG 4 education targets more comprehensively across countries, allowing the possibility to identify challenges regarding concepts of the targets that are not reflected well by the global indicators. The thematic indicator framework includes the global indicators as a subset and also represents a recommended set of additional indicators that countries may use to monitor based on the national context, policy priorities, technical capacity and data availability. Additional regional indicators may be developed to take account of specific regional contexts and relevant policy priorities for concepts that are less amenable to global comparison. At the national level, countries may have additional that account for specificities of their national contexts and to correspond to their education systems, policy agendas, strategies and plans. Slide 17 - Guiding questions for debate The following questions may be helpful to frame the discussion on how to integrate SDG 4 Education 2030 targets, commitments and focus areas in national education development efforts. 1. How does SDG4 resonate with national/local education context and strategic policy priorities? 2. How is national education policy, planning and management being adapted to align with SDG4 targets and focus areas? 3. In doing so, what are the main challenges for governance of national education systems? 4. What particular challenges does SDG4 pose for national efforts to monitor equity of learning opportunity and quality/relevance of learning at basic & post-basic levels? Unpacking SDG 4: Education 2030 [Speaking Notes] - Page 10