Indicators, Benchmarks, and Targets to Meet SDG 4 in India and South Africa

SDG 4: Goal, Targets, and Indicators in India and South Africa
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SDG 4: Goal, Targets, and Indicators in India and South Africa
Introduction
This report explores the current global focus of education policies on working with indicators, benchmarks, and targets and aims to provide insights into the potential approaches that could be employed in meeting the fourth United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) that addresses the need to improve quality of education in schools around the world (Boeren, 2019). The UN’s “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was unanimously adopted by all 191 Member States in 2015 and contained 17 SDGs and 169 targets that provide a clear roadmap for countries to meet the goals (Carpentier and Braun, 2020). The goals encompass different social, economic, and environmental dimensions and are indivisible. The agenda, which was named a “plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity," recognizes that the participation of governments, the public, businesses, civil society, including other stakeholders is critical in addressing our globally interrelated and shared challenges (Boeren, 2019, p.277). The fourth goal is set in the agenda and aims at ensuring inclusivity and equitable access to quality education to all children by promoting enduring learning opportunities. SGG4 comprises ten targets, and for this report, two targets, 4.1 and 4.2, will be discussed. Target 4.1, which focuses on free primary and secondary education, is to ensure that by 2030, all girls and boys complete accessible, equitable, and quality primary school education that will lead them to relevant and effective learning outcomes (Webb, Holford, Hodge, et al., 2017). The other target discussed in this paper is 4.2 centered on equal access to quality pre-primary education. All Member States shall guarantee that by 2030, all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education in preparation for primary education, according to the UN definition of target 4.2. In exploring targets 4.1 and 4.2 of Sustainable Development Goal 4, this report examines specific indicators, benchmarks, and targets in India and South Africa regarding regulations, financing, and provision of education to meet the specific targets.
Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4): Goal, Targets, and Indicators
In 2015, the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a decisive action to fight inequality, end extreme poverty, promote peace and justice, and guard our planet. This agenda is a call to all businesses in the world to employ their innovativeness and creativity in solving challenges related to sustainable development to address the most pressing challenges in society. SDG 4, which comprises 10 targets, aims to ensure equitable and inclusive quality education for all. The first target is to ensure that by 2030, every child completes quality, fair, and free primary and secondary education that will enable them to realize effective and relevant learning outcomes. The UN 2030 Agenda’s target 4.1 of SDG 4 provides quality education for at least 12 years of free, quality, inclusive, equitable, and publicly-funded primary and secondary education. Of the 12 years, at least nine years are obligatory for all boys and girls without discrimination in achieving relevant learning outcomes. The second target, 4.2 of SDG 4, aims to ensure that by 2030, all boys and girls have equal access to quality pre-primary education, early childhood development, and care, which will prepare them in readiness for pursuing primary education. According to Target 4.2, the UN 2030 Agenda provides for at least one year of free and mandatory quality pre-primary education, which should be delivered by professional educators, and at least one year of early childhood development and care. As Boeren (2019) argues, achieving the targets in SDG 4 will require a collaborative responsibility among all stakeholders, including individuals, the education systems, and the regulatory bodies. Overall, Member States are charged with meeting the two defined targets of SGG 4 that focus on quality, inclusive, and equitable education for children by 2030.
Financing, Provision, and Regulations of Education to Achieve SDG 4
Financing
Achieving SDG 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable education demands significant financial investments and other efforts such as policy regulations and provision by all Member States. The first two targets of SDG 4 on universal pre-primary, primary, and secondary education in developing countries alone would require the Member States to triple their spending on education more than. The UN has identified three primary funding sources to bridge this gap: state governments, charitable organizations and individuals, and households will serve to fund education systems in the Member States (United Nations DESA, 2019). Equally, the private sector has played a significant role in the delivery and financing of education in many states around the world, particularly when there are known quality concerns with the option of public education. However, the cost of private education provided by the private sector, even those in non-profit organizations, might become unaffordable for other children. This option further raises concerns over the principle of equity defined in SDG 4 and potentially leaves many behind. Therefore, the most important source of funding for education in the world remains domestic public finance which accounts for over 79 percent of total spending in most countries. In low-income countries, while the expenditure in education could be higher than 79 percent, this amount is often lower than $200 per year per primary school pupil, which is compared to about $8,000 in developed countries (United Nations DESA, 2019). This implies that households in developing countries spend more than half on education compared to less than 15 percent of education spending in high-income countries. However, this overreliance on household spending in education raises important equity concerns in developing nations. For this reason, most schools in low-income countries should rely on the domestic public.
Provision
The main aim of Targets 4.1 and 4.2 of the SDG 4 is to ensure the provision of quality, equitable, and free pre-primary, primary, and secondary education that would enable learners to realize effective and relevant outcomes. With an emphasis on equity, all learners should be engaged in an inclusive education system regardless of gender differences and economic background, and that resources should be distributed equally across public institutions of learning. Besides, regardless of gender, class, ethnicity, or race, the profound outcomes of education should be uniform. In assessing the achievement of Target 4.1, countries should ensure that in learning institutions, the number of young people and children achieving the minimum proficiency level in mathematics and reading in grade 2/3 and those completing primary and lower secondary school should be equal regardless of sex. Proficiency level in mathematics and reading among all children is specified as Indicator 4.1.1 of Target 4.1 of free primary and secondary education provision. Proficiency levels are related to performance in reading and mathematics. Unfortunately, in many Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, socio-economic backgrounds and school locations of 15-year-olds largely impacts proficiency levels (OECD, 2018). In the 2030 Agenda for SDG, equity in learning outcomes is crucial, and governments should check Indicator 4.1.1 in determining success in education provision among children within the age cohort. In ensuring that there is progress on improving learning, Beeharry (2021) has recommended for actors within the education sector to monitor the indicators and progress to achieving them while holding each other responsible for enhancing outcomes. Completion rates are the second required assessment to monitor how education systems around the world provide teaching and learning. Under Targets 4.1 and 4.2, Indicators 4.1.2 and 4.2.2 require that learning institutions check on the participation rates in organized learning and completion primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. Target 4.2 included an additional element of health, learning, and psychosocial well-being as Indicator 4.2.1 as a critical factor when assessing the quality of education provision among children aged between 24 and 50 months. Therefore, besides financial investments, education requires highly trained professionals that will be able to monitor the progress of learning and child development, particularly in early childhood education.
Regulation/Policies
The provision of equitable, quality and lifelong education for all individuals and groups is a commitment to inclusive education as defined in SDG 4. In meeting the targets, important aspects in the UN 2030 Agenda demand important policy considerations that apply to learners, educators, school systems, governments, and other stakeholders (Ferrer-Estevez and Chalmeta, 2021). However, displacement and migration have become commonplace in today’s world with intensified globalization, which has introduced important policy concerns with the unanimous adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for SDGs (High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, 2019). However, there has been little attention to how forced displacement and migration play a role in education through economic and social mobility. Policymakers should therefore understand the impact of education on forced displacement and migration and the intricacies as well as unique opportunities that such movement of people might present for education systems, decent work, skill acquisition, and better life. To inform policy formulation and monitor improvements in the education sector in a bid to deliver quality, equitable and inclusive education as well as lifelong opportunities for all, there is a need to gather reliable and comprehensive data from Member States (Garcia, Magana, and Ariza, 2020). Education and training systems face profound impacts from social, economic, and environmental changes that have partly been accelerated through technological innovations. Regardless of these changes, there should be commitments in regulation and policy to support lifelong learning opportunities for every child and ensure that they attain the required competencies critical to their personal development, better jobs, and sustainable development (Unterhalter, 2019). Finally, SGD 4 provides that education and training systems should aim at creating inclusive and equitable environments to ensure a transformative agenda in education. This requirement seeks to ensure that learners enjoy the rights to quality education throughout their lives without discrimination based on gender, race/ethnicity, or economic background. Therefore, there should be culturally sensitive policies and legislations to make education systems more inclusive and equitable without leaving none behind.
SDG 4 Indicators in South Africa and India: A Comparative Analysis
The education system in India and the UN 2030 SDG 4
India has recognized education as an important part of human development since ancient times and through the constitution and legislation. Education and literacy are also key indicators of the general society as they play a critical role in the nation’s socio-economic development. Through the New Education Policy, India has been proactive in expanding education programs spearheaded by the government (Rajput, Gupta, and Kumar, 2020). In meeting the increasing needs of quality education, science, and creativity in modern society, NEP projects that India will become a knowledge hub by enhancing skill development and improving on areas such as vocational and ICT training (Rajput, Gupta, and Kumar, 2020). Over the past years, the Indian government has initiated several programs, including free and compulsory education as one of the fundamental rights of every child aged 6-14 years. Besides, initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Anhiyaans (SSA) and Right to Education (RTE) have enabled significant success to universal education in the country (Pandey, 2021). However, while there has been an improvement in primary school enrollment, India has recorded low learning outcomes. Due to this observation, the SSA aims to universalize basic education to reduce the number of students dropping out of school due to financial and social challenges. In contextualizing SDG 4, the Indian government has integrated the SDG 4 Targets into the NEP plan in achieving quality education. In particular, India has made significant progress in providing equal access to education among girls and boys, with girls recording higher rates of enrollment and graduation in both primary and middle school levels. According to Rajput, Gupta, and Kumar (2020), India has achieved 100 percent primary education enrollment and 94 percent youth literary among males, with females recoding 92 percent enrollment at national levels. These achievements indicate the role of integrating SDG 4 in NEP in addressing priorities of universal quality education and lifelong learning. Besides, the government’s main initiative SSA, projects that all Indians will have access to universal and quality education with the introduction of teacher training, higher learning, and nutrition support system.
Achieving SDG 4 requires significant financial investment. India has an overall budget requirement of ₹142 lakh crores, which is equivalent to $2258 billion (Rajput, Gupta, and Kumar, 2020). While learners face no serious financial disparities with the existing policies and funding in primary and secondary schools through the RTE Act, early childhood education, tertiary, and higher education levels have grappled with funding challenges for years. In particular, there is a gap of ₹27 lakh crores or $428 billion in the total allocation to cater for quality early childhood care and pre-primary education spending. Besides, to achieve the required global standards of quality vocational, technical, and tertiary education, the country will require an extra ₹19 lakh crores or $301 billion. In additi...