Sustainable Development Goals 4: Quality Education

 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

COVID-19 has caused chaos in children's learning and well-being throughout the world. During the pandemic, educational growth was already too slow to meet Goal 4 by 2030. Two out of every three pupils were still affected by complete or partial school closures a year after the crisis began. A hundred million more youngsters are failing to display basic reading abilities than in the past. The crisis is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable children hardest, deepening long-standing disparities. Many young people face the prospect of never returning to school; some are coerced into child marriage or underage labour. Recovery of learning deficits induced by COVID-19 will require extra work.

Government initiative to rebuild back the basic infrastructure after the crisis.

Improving fundamental school infrastructure is crucial for school reopening, which is the first step for COVID-19 rehabilitation. Globally, more than a fifth of primary schools lacked basic drinking water or single-sex toilets, more than third needed basic handwashing facilities, and one in four lacked power, according to data from 2016 to 2019. Internet access and computers in classrooms are becoming increasingly limited. The Least Developed Countries (LDC) schools endure the most difficulties. Nearly half of the elementary schools in LDCs lack single-sex facilities, which is a key determinant in girls' attendance, and more than two-thirds lack electricity. The pandemic has brought attention to the need of having appropriate sanitation in ensuring the safety of students at school, as well as the requirement for ICT infrastructure to encourage remote learning. It also emphasises the need for more infrastructure factors including enough classroom space and air filtering in the classroom access to the Internet and computers at home, as well as school premises. The impact of the financial crisis on education budgets and capital spending is expected to have an impact on countries' capacity to advance especially in the poorest countries, these goals are being pursued.