SDG4: Quality Education

Why it matters

SDG 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The Covid-19 pandemic has stifled progress on education targets. If no additional measures are taken, only one in six countries will meet the SDG 4 target and achieve universal access to quality education by 2030^[4].

The industry’s contribution

Mobile technology contributes to SDG 4 by allowing students, teachers and employees to learn/teach from any location and on the move. Educational content, as well as educational administration and management, is increasingly being made available over mobile networks to tablets, smartphones and feature phones.

SDG 4 is the most improved SDG since 2015 in terms of industry impact. 2.3 billion mobile users (42% of mobile subscribers) access educational services on their mobile phones, representing an increase of more than 1.6 billion since 2015.

Additionally, 36% of mobile subscribers access government services on their mobile phones, equal to 2 billion users (an increase of 1.4 million users since 2015). However, there was a decline in the SDG 4 mobile impact score in 2022 as a result of the reduction in usage across a number of mobile-enabled services linked to improving access to education. This was most likely the result of the return of face-to-face activities post pandemic and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

SDG 4 mobile impact score

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Maximising mobile’s impact by 2030

Maximising mobile’s impact on SDG 4 requires enhancing the digital literacy of professionals and caregivers. The GSMA has published a range of research and materials on mobile digital skills, with all the key insights and learnings summarised in a short report that highlights four practical steps^[16].

Case Studies

END USER STORY | Mobile internet

Kavita

With colleges closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kavita has been able to continue her studies and access her syllabus online. Via mobile internet, she is learning skills such as video editing, design and social media promotion. She also uses mobile internet to educate women in her village, for example about periods, through the use of online videos.

We used mobile internet to inspire girls in our village. If we wanted to talk about special issues, e.g. periods, we would search for a relevant video and show it to them, making it easier to understand. The world is in your hands if you have a mobile. It has the power to change the world."

Kavita, India

END USER STORY | Mobile internet

Sindy

Sindy is a student working towards her high school degree. Mobile internet has enabled Sindy to stay connected with her friends and continue to learn from home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Mobile internet helps me especially in learning about the pandemic. We don't know when COVID-19 will end, but we can continue to monitor the graph of the development of COVID-19 in Indonesia."

Sindy, Indonesia

END USER STORY | Mobile internet

GSMA Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion

In this video we hear from some of the end users who are benefitting from these start-ups’ incredible projects, whether through increased access to smartphones, relevant products and digital skills, access to quality digital learning products, or help with bringing their small businesses online.

If Ensibuuko hadn't digitised our group, we would lose our savings just like that and if we were not given a smartphone, we wouldn't have access to Ensibuuko's digital loans. Digitalisation opened up my mind to new business ideas. It has exposed me to different apps that I enjoy and I also have access to marketplaces."

Monica Ojogaru

END USER STORY | Education

Ahlan Simsim, by Sesame Workshop - a groundbreaking initiative that delivers early learning and nurturing care to children and caregivers affected by the Syrian conflict.

Jiwan is a Syrian-Kurdish refugee living in Qushtapa Refugee Camp in Iraq. He works as a teacher and supports his wife and seven children aged 5 to 24. As an educator and active father, Jiwan appreciated the lessons in the Sesame videos.

Case Study

Digitising Malta’s first autism-sensitive recreational resource

Challenge

Children on the autism spectrum have divergent needs and engage with content in different ways. This becomes a challenge when creating dedicated resources, especially those of the recreational kind. More often than not, many of the resources available are targeted toward raising awareness or educating about autism. Very few resources are available that are both educational and recreational, with the specific needs of these children in mind.

Solution

Mase in Space – Malta’s first autism-sensitive resource – is a digital interactive book that pays particular attention to the fonts used, the colours selected, the positioning of the characters and the rhythm and rhyme used in the storytelling. It supports children in the development of their social and communication skills. The team behind Mase in Space originally approached Maltese mobile operator Go for support in printing the book, though Go considered this to not be aligned with its sustainability efforts. However, the operator helped to digitise the resource, including the addition of interactive features, to make it accessible to as many families and children as possible.

Impact

The online version of Mase in Space broadens the reach of the resource and increases its longevity. More importantly, it provides an alternative means of engagement between the child and their carer/parent, educator or therapist in a way that is meaningful to the child while also providing the opportunity to enhance the child’s digital skills.

Supporting the digitisation of Mase in Space is directly aligned to our purpose of driving a digital Malta where no one is left behind. GO has always been at the very heart of the Maltese community and this initiative is just one step further in ensuring that everyone within this community can enjoy the content of their choice through different media, whilst strengthening their digital skills in the process."

Nikhil Patil, CEO, GO

Case Study

Huawei and Unesco aim to improve access to digital education services in Africa

Challenge

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education systems globally, intensifying existing educational challenges and inequalities. For instance, the lack of access to connectivity and devices hindered the ability of at least one third of students to engage in remote learning.^[17]

Solution

Huawei and Unesco are collaborating with the education ministries of Egypt, Ethiopia and Ghana, along with other stakeholders, to implement a three-year project (2020–2023) focused on developing technology-enabled open school systems.^[18] This initiative aims to create resilient and accessible school systems, enabling comprehensive education in both normal situations and times of crisis.

Impact

By 2024, the aim is to develop more than 140 digital courses that benefit over 40 schools and over 14,000 students and teachers.

Quality education is one of the most important SDGs, with a far-reaching impact on all aspects of life and future development. Thankfully, digital technology is making a difference. Working with organizations like UNESCO, we're connecting schools, building digital skills, and making cloud more accessible to help bring quality education to more and more students around the world. But we still have a long way to go, and we have to work together to make education a truly equitable resource for everyone.

Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman, Rotating Chairman, Huawei