HOWIF supports Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving people’s lives and sustainable development. Major progress has been made towards increasing access to education at all levels and increasing enrolment rates in schools particularly for women and girls. Basic literacy skills have improved tremendously, yet bolder efforts are needed to make even greater strides for achieving universal education goals. For example, the world has achieved equality in primary education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of education.

Goal 4 Targets

The targets under SDG 4 include ensuring, by 2030,
(i) that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes,
(ii) that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education,
(iii) equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university,
(iv) that a larger percent the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship,
(v) elimination of gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, among others.

Nepal is committed to enhancing access to education, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged groups. As a result, NER in primary education has reached 96.6 percent in 2015. Similarly, numeracy rate for all of 15 years and above reached 62.2 percent and literacy rate of population of age 15–24 years reached to 88.6 percent in 2015. Also, 81 percent of the children have attended early childhood education programs.
Gender parity has been achieved. However, disparity exists at tertiary levels of education (88 men to 100 women). The adult female literacy rate for the population aged 15 and older has also increased drastically.
The proposed specific targets for SDG 4 include 99.5 percent net enrolment and completion of primary education, and 99 percent gross enrollment in secondary education by 2030.
The other targets are to ensure that 95 percent of students enrolled in grade one reach grade eight; the proportion of youth and adults who have relevant skills (including technical and vocational skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship) reaches 75 percent; all youth and at least 98 percent of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy; gender disparities in tertiary education are eliminated.

Source: National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal.