The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, aim to end poverty, preserve the planet, and promote peace by 2030. The 17 goals are interconnected and recognize that progress in one area, social, economic and environmental, influences outcomes in another. To achieve these goals, countries have pledged to prioritize the most vulnerable members of society and focus on eliminating poverty, hunger, disease, and gender inequality and more. Collaboration across education, innovation, and technology is essential for success.
Goal 4 of the SDGs aims to provide quality education for all. Specifically, Target 4.2 seeks to ensure that all children have access to free pre-primary by 2030 so that they are ready for primary education.This emphasizes the importance of early childhood care and education to ensure children are set up for success and have the opportunities they need to thrive. Prioritizing quality education reinforces the idea that education is the most powerful tool we have to achieve sustainable development.
India adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and is committed to their achievement. Given that India is home to 137 million children under the age of six, it plays a crucial role in the global effort to achieve SDGs. Given the scale of its population, if India falls short in meeting its targets, the world is unlikely to meet its SDG goals either.
The country is home to the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the largest free public pre-school system for early childhood education in the world, introduced to lay the foundation for the holistic development of children under the age of six. Under this scheme, the Anganwadi Centre model has been developed, focusing on providing children aged 3-6 with a nurturing environment in a physical Anganwadi centre, adequate nutrition, and quality pre-primary education to ensure they are ‘school-ready.’ Furthermore, the Constitution of India states in its Directive Principles of State Policy that the “The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.”.
In the last five years, India has introduced policies such as the National Educational Policy 2020, the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the Foundational Stage, and curriculum like Aadharshila, the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education 2024 for children aged three to six, and Navchetana, the National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation 2024 for children from birth to three years. These initiatives all contribute to India meeting its SDG mandate.
In order to ensure that we are future-ready we need to ensure that all our children have access to quality early stimulation in the present. Education for all truly embodies Sustainable Development Goals, as it is the most valuable resource to break the cycle of poverty.