people and planet

14
Inequality measures..............................................................................................................257
Gender...........................................................................................................................................262
Disability......................................................................................................................................265
Language......................................................................................................................................267
Migration and forced displacement................................................................................271
The desire to leave no one behind permeates the
entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
For example, two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
are dedicated to addressing gender inequality (SDG 5)
and reducing income inequality (SDG 10). There is also
an unprecedented
global commitment to
The desire to leave no
monitor progress using
data disaggregated
one behind permeates
‘by income, gender,
the entire 2030
age, race, ethnicity,
Agenda for Sustainable
migratory status,
disability, geographic
Development
location, and other
characteristics
relevant to national
contexts’ (United Nations, 2015a, p. 27). This is expected
to spur demand for global monitoring and reporting
of inequality.
In the case of education, target 4.5 focuses exclusively
on the need to ‘ensure equal access to all levels’. The
cross-cutting nature of this target is reflected in the
selection of global indicator 4.5.1, which aims to measure
disparities in access to education from early childhood to
adult education.
This chapter addresses three main issues. First, what
are appropriate ways to measure inequality and its
evolution over time? Gender disparity in primary,
secondary and tertiary education was monitored as
part of the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG),
contributing to greater awareness of challenges in many
countries. The new agenda extends the scope to other
population groups, notably those defined by location
and wealth. The accumulation of large data sets in recent
years makes the global measurement of inequality in
education possible. But the question of how best to
measure disparity remains to be addressed.
Second, how can information be collected that identifies
individuals as members of other vulnerable groups,
such as people with disabilities and those who are
forcibly displaced or speak a language other than the
language of instruction?
Third, what are broader aspects of equity in education
beyond parity? Target 4.5 is limited to disparity and,
in this respect, does not capture aspects of equity
unrelated to access. In practice, education remains a
social institution that reflects and reproduces socioeconomic
and cultural disadvantages that prevail in the
rest of society. For instance, even if they are in school,
students from weaker socio-economic or marginalized
backgrounds are more likely to attend schools
characterized by substandard infrastructure, fewer
qualified teachers, less ambitious peers and less
effective pedagogical practices. These factors have a
negative influence on their achievement in school and
overall attainment.
While the target formulation makes no reference
to the means for tackling disadvantage in education,
three relevant thematic indicators have been
proposed on policies, expenditure and aid; they are
discussed in Chapter 20 on education financing.
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CHAPTER 14 | TARGET 4.5 – EQUITY