Goal 4 in sustainable development is about achieving quality education for all, focusing on providing equal opportunities for education to everyone regardless of gender, race, social status, or environment. This is about building a strong foundation for sustainable societal development. Therefore, being supportive of educational rights and ensuring access to education for all is crucial. It allows everyone to grow and develop to their fullest potential and to utilize their skills and abilities for sustainable growth and creativity in the future. Quality education services and inclusive access to education opportunities, financial support, and policies that support lifelong learning and skills development are essential for ensuring equal and sustainable access to education. In the long run, this contributes to creating an equitable and sustainable society and economic growth. Therefore, equal education is a vital foundation for the long-term sustainable development of populations and societies, particularly promoting increased education for vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities, children in disadvantaged situations, or victims of abuse.

Subgoal 4.1

    Ensure that all boys and girls complete quality primary and secondary education, achieving effective learning outcomes, free of charge, by the year 2030.

Subgoal 4.2

    Ensure that all boys and girls have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education, enabling them to be ready for primary education by 2030.

Subgoal 4.3

    Ensure equal access for all men and women to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university, by 2030.

Subgoal 4.4

    Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship by 2030.

Subgoal 4.5

    Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations, by 2030.

Subgoal 4.6

    Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030.

Subgoal 4.7

    Ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development, by 2030.

Subgoal 4.A

    Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability, and gender-sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive, and effective learning environments for all.

Subgoal 4.B

    Substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training, information and communications technology, technical, engineering, and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries by 2023.

Subgoal 4.C

    Increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States, by 2030.