Part I - Key issues related to SDG4

Summary

Never before has humanity experienced such an abundance of technological and social achievements as it has since the mid-1900s. Scientific discoveries have modified means of communication and survival. New definitions of wellbeing and happiness have altered time-worn patterns of behaviour, reshaping the structure of families and communities and transfiguring personal and collective priorities.

Despite the positive impacts of many developments, the whirlwinds of constant change have brought with them confusion and anxiety. The destructive impacts of human activities on nature have been acknowledged. The consequences of climate change are being felt. Both intangible and material facets of life are fraught with ambiguity. Concerns about identity and belonging have led to an array of lifestyles and associated lifestyle-related illnesses.

Education has historically been a means of improving social and economic conditions. The search to find coherent answers about how to live in a globalized world of transition and turmoil has led to demands to overhaul education in order to make it more accessible and relevant to the present needs of individuals, society and nature. SDG4 aims at mobilizing efforts to improve education.