Quality Education
Notre Dame Virtual School’s February Theme is SDG #4: Quality Education.
Education for all has always been an integral part of the sustainable development agenda. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002 adopted the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) which in its Section X, reaffirmed both the Millennium Development Goal 2 in achieving universal primary education by 2015 and the goal of the Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels of education by 2015. The JPOI addressed the need to integrate sustainable development into formal education at all levels, as well as through informal and non-formal education opportunities.
There is growing international recognition of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as an integral element of quality education and a key enabler for sustainable development. Both the Muscat Agreement adopted at the Global Education For All Meeting (GEM) in 2014 and the proposal for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the Open Working Group of the UN General Assembly on SDGs (OWG) include ESD in the proposed targets for the post- 2015 agenda. The proposed Sustainable Development Goal 4 reads “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all” and includes a set of associated targets.
ESD is closely tied into the international discussions on sustainable development, which have grown in scale and importance since, Our Common Future appeared in 1987, providing the first widely-used definition of sustainable development as the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” [ Source: https://sdgs.un.org/topics/education ]
Education is a fundamental human right that enables individuals to lead fulfilling lives, participate in their communities, and contribute to society. Access to quality education is essential for the development of skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to thrive in today’s world.
YouTube Video: Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education – Rorden Wilkinson (5:42)
UNSW eLearning [ https://youtu.be/tlhp3K1veoQ?si=EkTWmXOFWJ4NWdvu ]
YouTube Video: Education is key for achieving the SDGs UNESCO
https://youtu.be/I0KRLgoszPM?si=N7bRTMwT0ldx-K99
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is an open partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community launched in the lead-up to the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. It is currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Sulitest Association – a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Other UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN University, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships, and UN Academic Impact.
Through its strong association with the United Nations, HESI aims to provide higher education with an interface between higher education, science, and policy making by raising the profile of higher education’s sector in supporting sustainable development, convening multi-stakeholder discussions and action, and sharing best practices.[ source: https://sdgs.un.org/HESI ]
Two additional resource sites:
[ http://www.laudatosiplatform.org ]
[ https://www.sowinghopefortheplanet.org/ ]
As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice. “Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.” –Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti
Download and Read: Study Guide for Fratelli Tutti
