Written by Associate Writer: Nora Bdair
SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Living in an urban town isn’t quite easy as people think. Here is the reason why growing up in a developing country and attempting to attain a better education is difficult. In state schools, the teachers are not compensated very well so this leads to behaviours such as teachers not attending classes or staying home while waiting for their payslip. Teachers sometimes attend school but not teach. This led to the students either exploring drugs, or skipping school. Further after completing secondary school, jobs are difficult to get as due to the high unemployment, one would need to be connected to someone to get a job i.e. nepotism or worse. This made me very uncomfortable and unhappy and I realised I need to better my skills and education in order to provide for my family. And that is why I decided to undertake a university degree, which is also not easy, due to the fees, transport costs, laptop and books. Nonetheless, I support myself by running an Instagram shop.
While education in Zambia is free, uniforms and books are not free. Therefore, many parents struggle to send their children to school because they are unable to provide uniforms and books. Hence many youth often resort to informal jobs, where manual labour is the requirement and not technical skills.
Although there has been some improvement in access to affordable technical and vocational education, it is still limited. In 2010 there was no data for Zambia on this indicator. As of 2022, Zambia has a participation rate of 16.9% in formal and non-formal education and training.[1]
In my opinion, SDG 4, and equally the other SDGs would enable a country like Zambia to improve because a higher quality of education would increase the stability in the country. The ability of one to be able to work in a decent paying job will provide better prospects for personal development and social integration. Freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in decisions that affect their lives.
A well-educated population is essential to stimulate economic growth, provide effective public services and reduce poverty, hence my view is that the SDGs are critical to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong opportunities for all in Zambia.
[1] https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/quality-education