Research work · 2024
Equal Opportunities in Education
Ramola Ramtohul
Higher Education and SDG4: Quality Education
Abstract
Abstract The imperative of equality and equal opportunity is a thread that runs through the entire Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework, recognising its ubiquitous nature, its importance as a challenge and the need to address it vigorously. Target 4.3 of SDG 4 requires that by 2030, governments should ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The idea of equality, however, goes beyond access. It implicitly extends to equal opportunities to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and capabilities through educational processes and within educational systems. Moreover, equal opportunities for all remain a key concern for education to be inclusive. Inequality is inherent in the higher education system with wide disparities in the availability and quality of higher education between regions, countries and universities. Limited opportunities for access to quality higher education in many countries are leading to knowledge gaps that have significant consequences for social and economic development. This chapter explores the principal dimensions of inequality in the higher education sector that hinder the attainment of SDG 4. Using a wide-angle lens, the chapter examines the key underlying factors that drive inequality in education, inequality across the education lifecycle and the special characteristics of discrimination. The chapter also explores strategies that can help reduce inequalities in the higher education sector.