Human mind stores a plethora of information which makes humans a distinct species; this information needs to be processed further and refined for making it more useful and meaningful. Education is the medium which adds value to this information and convert it into knowledge and skills. Education induces critical thinking in people, which helps them make right decisions through all areas of life. An educated person is capable of improving the quality of his own life, take care of his surroundings and work towards the betterment of the society. It enhances creativity and productivity of people, expanding their future prospects. Lack of education means lack of knowledge, leading to a state of perplexity, further resulting in disruption. When a significant portion of the population of a nation is uneducated, the nation shows slow economic growth and retarded development. It is impossible to achieve socio-economic and environmental sustainability until quality education is accessible to all the people across the globe.
Despite understanding the role of education in the development of a nation, many nations fail to provide quality education to all its people. Inequality in education still prevails in many parts of the world. Worldwide 750 million adults are still illiterate, of which two thirds are women. for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, the United Nations designed SDG4 – Quality Education in the year 2015. In addition to ensuring inclusive and quality education for all at all levels, the goal also aims at ensuring safe, healthy and effective learning environment; promote vocational training& technical guidance, and encourage skill development among all youth and adults for employment and entrepreneurship. SDG4 is an important goal as it also emphasizes on educating the world towards sustainable development. Achieving SDG 4 would also contribute towards achieving various other SDGs like: SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 5- Gender equality, and SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; Inclusive and quality education is centric to all these goals.
SDG 4 targets
Since the launch of SDG4, significant progress has been made towards meeting the targets of goal 4, but the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out decades of progress. the pandemic outbreak led to temporary closure of schools all around the world, affecting more than 91% students. Millions of these students are not likely to return to schools even after reopening due to the after effects of the pandemic:
- Many children and youth seeking education, were forced to leave schools and other educational establishments for working in unorganized sector to make a living, as the earning members of their families had either lost their lives or lost their jobs during the pandemic.
- Millions of students across the globe, especially underprivileged and disadvantaged ones, do not have any means to access online teaching platforms.
- Millions of students relying on school meals for nutrition, are suffering compromised nutrition and child- care issues due to lockdown.
These issues need to be resolved urgently, in order to safeguard the future of children and youth. Governments of nations across the globe have been working progressively towards achieving SDG4, but these efforts are not adequate ; private sector and civil society organizations need to come forward and strengthen these efforts by engaging in SDG4.
Business and education
Education opens door to employment opportunities; inspires innovation; enables skill development & technological advancement; all leading to economic growth at individual, regional and national level. Like employment, Entrepreneurship too depends heavily on education. It facilitates study and analysis of facts, strategic planning and calculation of risks & opportunities; expertise in these areas determine the success of a business.
Education inspires Innovation, which is the key to the sustainability of a business; it helps in keeping pace with competitors and meeting the ever-changing customer demands. New products and services offered by enterprises increase sales and expand market opportunities; new ways of performing business reduce cost and improve productivity. meaningful Innovation can be achieved only through research& development activities, which are governed by education. Engaging in SDG4 can bring multiple benefits to an enterprise, while contributing to the overall sustainable development of the region where they belong.
For engaging with SDG4, companies can choose either or both of the following practices:
Both these approaches result in reduced risks and good returns. for optimization of education, an enterprise first needs to identify the areas that need upgradation of skills and design the training program accordingly. At times, training programs could be designed simply to motivate employees, rather than enhancing their technical skills; such programs boost the morale of employees and build capacity to adopt new technologies that improve the company’s efficiency and ensure job satisfaction among employees.
Business to promote education
While some companies are contributing towards SDG4 through various engagement activities , some start-ups have developed their entire business around promoting education.
Edtech
Edtech or Educational Technology is the term given to the combination of technology and educational practices which makes quality education available and accessible round the clock, to students all around the world. Edtech companies have gained tremendous popularity in recent years, due to their flexible and unique methods of educating. Right from foundation level to competitive exams, Edtech has helped many students perform better and develop various skills. In this era of digitalization, Edtech is reaching out to students living in rural and remote areas, who are unable to attend school for various reasons. During the pandemic, when schools were shut down, Edtech companies remained functional and encouraged learning among millions of students. The Edtech Industry is expected to grow up to $30 billion in size in the next 10 years, according to a reprt by The Economic Times.
Educational supplies
Educational supplies is another area providing business opportunities in the field of education. Sustainable educational supplies like books and stationaries, are gaining popularity among consumers as their preferences are shifting towards conscious products. Innovative learning aids are also in demand as they enhance learning and improve retention.
Skill Development
Many start-ups are promoting skills through online courses in the field of technology and arts. These start-ups have earned good returns during the pandemic, as they helped both children and adults develop new skills while staying indoors; these courses also helped in fighting depression.
Education is the key to a brighter future for all, and it is our duty at individual and organizational level to promote education. We come across many people who need education or training but can not afford it; we must help them in all possible ways and contribute to SDG 4 at individual level. At organizational level, we can contribute to SDG 4, by incorporating its targets in the organizational strategy. The world is going through a tough time and education is playing an important role in dealing with the situation; let’s promote education and create a sustainable and just world for all.
