When the world’s nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, uniting the development and environment agendas into a single framework, the SDG dedicated to education, SDG 4, was recognized as central to the achievement of all other SDGs.
The collective movement towards SDG 4-Education 2030 generates impetus to strengthen education systems within the emerging policy environment of lifelong learning for all.
SDG 4 requires moving away from business as usual: it calls on countries to ensure quality education for all and equal learning opportunities throughout life, as well as effective and relevant learning and skills with flexible pathways for meaningful integration into the world of work and social and civic life.
Strengthening education and learning systems
Not doing business as usual, i.e. rethinking education and the organization and assessment of learning, will require that SDG 4 be taken into consideration at all stages of a national education policy and planning cycle. The cycle is an iterative process from system analysis to definition of policy options, formulation of pertinent strategies and corresponding results and monitoring frameworks.
To avoid parallel planning and monitoring, it is essential that SDG 4 be integrated into the development of national education sector plans (ESP) and their costed operational plans, using a progressive approach centered on inclusive sector dialogue at each planning stage, and the strengthening of national systems’ capacities.
National planning cycles and effective sector dialogue mechanisms at country level present important opportunities
Findings from an early SDG 4 country readiness survey carried out by UNESCO to better understand the varying national starting points in sub-Saharan African (SSA), pointed to opportunities for SDG 4 integration into national education planning.
While many countries were developing new education sector plans, providing an opportune time for them and their partners to reflect around the new SDG 4 vision and commitments, others were integrating dialogue around SDG 4 within existing sector policy and plan revisions. Most countries also reported having conducive environments for policy dialogue with effective mechanisms for consulting and/or coordinating with a diversity of education stakeholders.
Preliminary results of a follow-up survey carried out in April 2018 show that the majority of reported countries either formulated or revised their ESP since 2015, citing the integration of SDG 4 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) as a principal reason.
Survey results again strongly pointed to strengthened sector dialogue mechanisms, including local education groups as important opportunities for reflection around SDG 4.
Joint sector reviews – a key entry point for rethinking the policy cycle
Among the entry points and recommendations for SDG 4 integration within national policy and planning cycles is the strategic role of joint sector reviews (JSR), which is gaining in vigor.
Effective and inclusive JSR as instruments of mutual accountability are at the heart of GPE’s theory of change. Joint sector reviews can serve as key instruments for policy dialogue around SDG 4, by bringing together in a participatory manner a range of actors to analyze underlying causes of sector challenges, including institutional and implementation capacities, and engaging in policy and strategy revision.
A GPE study on effective joint sector reviews identifies one of the two core functions of JSRs as serving as an instrument for change embedded into a policy cycle. It should therefore be aligned with sector ministries’ planning and budgeting cycles, serve as a key tool for responsive sector planning in the context of SDG 4 and a step towards effective system reform.
Serving as inclusive platforms for proposing policy adjustments and pertinent implementation strategies, JSR can help re-prioritize and re-focus actions and investments of all education stakeholders around a single sector plan and results framework that reflect national commitments to SDG 4.
Expanding partnerships
Implementation of the SDG 4-Education 2030 agenda calls for new and emerging actors and partnerships. GPE and UNESCO, together with partner organizations in sub-Saharan Africa active in education policy, planning, management, and financing, will be working together within the Education Systems’ Strengthening Task Team (SYSTeam) of the Regional Coordination Group on SDG 4 (RCG4).
Growing fragility, continued conflict, violent extremism, and increased migration and displacements have further contributed to the alarming learning crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, calling for more responsive and innovative education sector planning.
The task team will carry out further analytical work and develop tools to support strengthening of national education systems in varying country contexts and within a lifelong learning perspective.