Petition to Retain SDG 4.1.1a as a Global Measure of Education.
Acknowledging the critical importance of foundational literacy and numeracy, we urge the UNESCO Institute of Statistics and the IAEG-SDG to retain SDG 4.1.1a within the SDG reporting framework. Further, we implore the UNESCO Institute of Statistics to continue supporting and partnering with countries, civil society organizations, and other interested stakeholders to ensure data for foundational learning is sufficient for the reinstatement of SDG 4.1.1a as a Tier I Indicator. Our petition is motivated by the following concerns:
- There is a foundational learning crisis that urgently needs to be addressed. In mid to low-income countries, 7 out of 10 children cannot read and understand a simple story by age of 10.1 In low-income countries such as those in Sub Saharan Africa, it is 9 out of 10 children2.
- With only 6 years left to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals, the foundational learning crisis is deeply undermining countries’ efforts to achieve SDG 4 which calls for free, equitable and quality education for all by 2030.
- SDG 4.1.1a indicator3 is critical because it measures children’s foundational learning at the time when it matters most: early in their schooling journey. This ensures necessary evidence-based interventions can be made early enough to ensure children can accelerate learning of critical foundational skills that help them learn and apply knowledge in higher grades.
- Without sufficient data on foundational learning, we are unable to action evidence-based interventions to ensure children are not being left behind in their education as they are unable to get the necessary basic reading and math skills to make the critical transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’. Furthermore, vulnerable groups such as children out of school, those with disabilities, and those in emergencies might not receive the necessary support for their foundational learning outcomes. In the long run, lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills hampers countries’ human capital potential, limiting economic growth and sustainable development.
- The removal of SDG 4.1.1a from the SDG reporting framework due to the lack of data4 will shrink the much-needed space for measuring foundational literacy and numeracy in the Global Agenda for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.5 It will also shrink the space for citizens and civil society to hold governments accountable for the achievement of quality education as envisioned by SDG 4.
Together, we can collectively work towards addressing the foundational learning crisis and advancing equitable access to quality education for all children, ultimately contributing to the realization of sustainable development goals worldwide. Together let us commit to:
- Measure Early: Ensuring to use data and evidence-based interventions earlier in children’s education journeys to reduce by half the number of children who cannot read and do basic maths by age of 10, by 2030.
- Measure Well: Ensuring collected data on foundational learning is quality data that is standardized and comparable.
- Measure All: Ensuring that data on foundational learning and subsequent evidence based interventions remain inclusive of marginalised and vulnerable groups including out-of-school children, children with disabilities, and those in emergencies.