SDG 4 - Quality Education

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has recommended, in its observations released on 9 June 2016,1 that the UK Government stop investing in low-fee private schools in developing countries. Low-fee, private and informal schools run by for-profit business enterprises are multiplying rapidly in developing countries. The UNCRC noted that “rapid increase in the number of such schools may contribute to sub-standard education, less investment in free and quality public schools [...]

• 1Cf. GCE (2016) and www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20078&LangID=E. 

By Jorge Osorio-Vargas, Professor at the Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile).

Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda reflects the aspirations and demands of parents, educators and civil society organizations to meet the educational and learning needs of the poor, discriminated and exploited populations in every country in the world. Its formulation goes far beyond the scope of the MDGs, which focused on achieving universal primary education in MDG 2 and on closing the gender gaps in education as [...]