The sustainable development goal on quality education : a case from Europe

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are widely regarded as a powerful political vision that address the social, economic and environmental pillars. In this light, this chapter focuses on the fourth SDG on quality education and draws comparisons with Europe’s 2020 strategy that is aimed to create the conditions for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth within the European Union (EU) context. A literature review suggests that there is a unifying thread in these action plans for sustainable development. There is an indispensable requirement for an inclusive and equitable quality education that could eradicate poverty in all of its forms and dimensions. Therefore, this research presents a case study on the latest educational policies in Malta. The smallest EU state is pursuing its reforms to reduce early school leaving and promote lifelong learning. At the same time, it is striving to address skills gaps (and mismatches) in its domestic labour market. The findings indicate that with quality education, there may be implications for job creation, competitiveness as well as more social cohesion. Family-friendly measures including better access to childcare, more flexible working schemes and employer incentives can help individuals to return to work. In conclusion, this contribution implies that the pursuit towards continuous improvements in quality education and social inclusion could create a virtuous cycle of productivity outcomes, economic growth and prosperity.