Do you remember your favourite teacher from school? My favourite, Mrs Galliver, was kind, thoughtful and patient, but most of all she wanted me to succeed. That is the power of education: to allow a young person to reach their full potential, in learning and in life.
So why is Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education for all (SDG4) so important? Because all around the world young people are being left behind, they can't access education and can't realise their potential.
That is the power of education: to allow a young person to reach their full potential, in learning and in life.
Scotland
In Scotland progress has been made in initial teacher education, provisions for additional support needs (ASN) and a curriculum that puts learners at the centre. Despite this, some people are still leaving school unprepared for the world in which they find themselves. It's important to recognise that the SDGs are for all countries and that Scotland has improvements to focus on too. All countries, regardless of their national wealth, stand to gain from achieving the targets in SDG 4. The emphasis on early years, basic skills, numbers of qualified and trained teachers, and education for all is crucial.
22.3% of boys in Malawi complete primary compared to only 13.8% of girls
Malawi
If we consider SDG4 in an international context, it's natural to look at Malawi, a country that has a long and mutually beneficial friendship with Scotland. In Malawi, primary education was made free in 1994, in theory this was a great step towards education for all, but in reality schools couldn’t cope with the influx. The overall budget of the Government of Malawi is very small, so investment in education is limited. Therefore, whilst they are to be commended for free primary education, twenty years later average class sizes are still above 100, most schools have little or no support for ASN and, in an environment where textbooks and notebooks are rare, an excellent memory is a strong advantage. In terms of numbers, 89% of primary aged children are enrolled in school, but only 43% complete primary school, only 7% finish secondary school and only 1% study beyond secondary.
Gender inequalities
The barriers to education in Malawi are numerous and beyond comprehension to most of us. Finances play a part, both the costs of attending school and the loss of income if a household member isn’t working. Feeding the family has to be the priority. Outdoor classrooms leave learning at the mercy of weather. In Standard 5 lessons switch to being taught in English, a barrier if you don’t speak English outside of school. The challenge of exams, with no notes or books to revise from, and the system of repeating the whole year if you fail, proves too much for some.
Schools have the unique opportunity to help learners understand their place in the world, take ownership of the SDG targets and feel empowered to make positive changes.
Girls face additional challenges, such as safety on the long walk to school and in school accommodation. Lack of toilets means they can’t be in school for several days a month during menstruation. Add to that more chores at home for girls, early marriages and pregnancies, and you begin to understand why 22.3% of boys in Malawi complete primary compared to only 13.8% of girls.
Awareness raising
Why is it important for young people here to look at SDG4 in Scotland and make global comparisons? Not to feel guilty that we take education for granted, but to allow learners space to feel angry that not everyone can access this right and to explore ways in which they can contribute to change. Schools have the unique opportunity to help learners understand their place in the world, take ownership of the SDG targets and feel empowered to make positive changes. Campaigns like the Global Campaign for Education’s Send my friend to school are a great way for learners to feel they can hold world leaders to account and encourage all countries to achieve SDG4.
There are ten demanding targets under SDG4 that will require effort from every country and it’s exciting to think that we could all play a part in achieving this by 2030.
Education for Global Citizenship
By using global comparisons, teachers can explore education as a human right and its importance in achieving sustainable economic development. Young people in Malawi have a strong desire to access education and two thirds of the population there are under 25. If SDG4 is made a reality, and everyone is given the opportunity to succeed, young people hold the key to development, growth and change in their country.
Young people in Scotland can be supported to acquire knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development in their country and all around the world. Target 4.7 ¹ specifically mentions a number of initiatives including education for sustainable development, human rights and global citizenship which are all encouraged through the Learning for Sustainability framework.
Education for all
There are ten demanding targets under SDG4 that will require effort from every country, but the aim is good quality education for all and it’s exciting to think that we could all play a part in achieving this by 2030. I'm not sure how my favourite teacher would have managed with 100 students in her class, she may not have been quite as patient, but I know she would have wanted all of us to succeed. That's what unites teachers across the globe, and SDG4 provides a framework to ensure that every child gets the opportunity to succeed no matter where they are born, their gender or the way that they learn.
