Sustainable Development Goal Four: Quality education for all

We hosted a Funzi Mobile talks event about Sustainable Development Goals, digitalization, and learning a few weeks ago. We had the privilege to hear from speakers on top of their field about how digitalization affects learning in emerging markets and their thoughts on improving learning opportunities for young adults by using digital tools. The panel included Reynald Maeda from the United Nations Association Tanzania, Professor Samuel John from Namibia University of Science and Technology, Aape Pohjavirta from Funzi, and Aviwe Funani from Waves for Change South Africa. The speakers also pointed out the challenges, such as the digital divide, regarding equitable access to education and learning.

If you missed the event, you can watch the recording.

Equal education for all is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The goals are an urgent call for action for the developed countries and emerging nations to work together to ensure a sustainable future, and ultimately, life on Earth. Every person, nation, and business needs to do their part. There is no planet B.

All 17 goals are crucial for the mission. For example, getting out of poverty (SDG1) helps people think beyond their daily needs and enables them to make more sustainable choices in life. Ending hunger (SDG2) is an immediate need that affects SDG3 “Good health and well-being.” The SDGs are connected and point out large-scale problems and inequalities.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have learned that support from wealthier nations to emerging markets is critical to solving global problems. Without the common consensus and shared will to resolve issues on a planetary scale, the impact spreads from continent to continent.

Why learning makes a difference

The population with unlimited resources, such as data, often takes learning new things for granted. Do you need to learn how to change a tire? Learn it on Youtube! Are you interested in learning Spanish? Take a class in a community school. Desire a university degree? Join a tutoring group, improve your grades, and learn what is needed to be accepted to a university.

Those with privilege can rarely relate to them for whom checking their Whatsapp messages is considered a luxury. Education online and offline and learning simple and more complex skills remains unavailable for most of the global population. The obstacles may be technological or financial, or both. Millions of people in emerging markets cannot fulfill their dreams or even acquire a simple set of skills to move forward with their lives. Without quality education, the other 16 goals may remain unachievable.

Learning and education enable achievement of the other SDG’s

SDG4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. In our opinion, the SDG4 “Quality education” is a gateway to achieving most of the other SDGs. We consider it a human right. Education ensures decent work and economic growth, as well as achieving sustainable consumption and production. Education and learning also enhance peace, justice, and strong institutions. In addition, learning and knowledge reduce inequality. Thus, quality learning and education affects directly or indirectly the achievement of all the other goals, reduces thresholds, and encourages sustainable living in peace.

United Nations have established more specific targets under SDG4, including free and equitable primary and secondary schooling for all children. Another goal is to substantially increase skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. By 2030 the goal is to ensure that all learners can acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development through education. This includes sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, peace and prevention of violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and culture’s contribution to sustainable development. (United Nations)

Socio-economic mobility

Education enables upward socioeconomic mobility and is a key to escaping poverty. When people are included in quality education and learning opportunities, they can develop skills that allow them to be better prepared professionally and more informed about entrepreneurship. Socioeconomic mobility relies on education and provides people a chance for a better life. As a by-product, it affects personal wealth, supports societies in living more sustainable lives, and brings wealth and equality to communities.

Should digital learning be its own Sustainable Development Goal?

“Digital learning should be its own Sustainable Development Goal,” stated Reynald Maeda, the Executive Director of the United Nations Association of Tanzania. His words emphasize the importance of digital equity and the role digitalization has in learning. The possibilities are there to make education more inclusive to the marginalized, but there are some serious roadblocks on the way, including the sky-high taxation in many emerging economies.

As the digital revolution continues to progress, the gap between people grows. While nations in the polar north have access to unlimited data, the global south continues to battle high data costs, which block access to the internet, the source of information, and learning opportunities. Currently, only the top 10 % of the global population has access to quality education and learning. Due to the global pandemic, schooling, and teaching transferred online, which excluded millions. As a result, the threshold grew exponentially for students without technology and high-speed internet connection.

More inclusive services are needed desperately to overcome the threshold. Our mission is to bring learning to the other 90% of the global population by using the power of mobile. Funzi’s role as an inclusive service grew significantly since the start of the pandemic. As a result, young adults with low bandwidth connections and low-end devices can continue learning from anywhere in the world. Our service is designed to fill the digital gap. Funzi is truly an accessible learning service that can be used anywhere in the world.

Thoughts from the panel

SDG4…

• “High taxing of data is putting a brake on achievement of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal.”
  -Reynald Maeda, The Executive Director of the United Nations Association of Tanzania

• “Digitalization and internet are human rights that everyone should have access to.”
  -Aape Pohjavirta, The President & Founder of Funzi

• “Partnerships allow you to access the best teachers and instructors anywhere in the world.”
  -Professor Samuel John, Director & Professor at Department of Mechanical and Marine Engineering, Namibia University of Science and Technology

• “We need to adapt the platforms that young people are already using and actually engage them for learning purposes.”
  -Aviwe Funani, Programme, Policy, and Advocacy Manager at Waves for Change

“We don’t need to send a man to the Moon or Mars, like the billionaires are doing, we need to keep life alive on this planet.” -Aape Pohjavirta

Funzi Mobile talks continue in November 2021. Our next Whitepaper will be out in time for the event to spark conversation amongst the panelists and the event audience. Sign-up for our newsletter or give us a follow on social media to keep up with the Funzi Mobile talks event series.

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