International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality in Education, Current Issues in Zimbabwe Higher Education, Educating for the future

G.N. Shava, T. Chasara, O. S. Hahlani
National University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology Education, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract: This article discusses current issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) specifically focusing on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on quality in education. The SDGs form part of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for sustainable development which was unanimously adopted in 2015 by all UN member states as a plan of action for sustainable development. Special focus of the article is on Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is oriented towards the achievement of educational quality within a lifelong framework. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals propose that ESD has the potential to increase knowledge and strategies to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the needs of society which is the specific focus of SDG4 which strives on quality education. This article critically assesses how Zimbabwe higher education works towards achieving SDG4 which seeks to ensure quality education. In this article I argue that, ESD empowers learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability for present and future generations. Quality, sustainable and development education supports knowledge driven economic growth strategies and poverty eradication by generating new knowledge, building the capacity to assess existing stores of global knowledge and adapt that knowledge to local use. In this article we explore the achievement of SDG4 mapping insights from structure and agency approaches and theoretical view point. The article demonstrates that critical realist theory of structure and agency perspectives can contribute towards enabling and constraining the achievement of ESD. The theoretical view point contributes towards the understanding and achievement of transformation towards sustainability and can help to ensure a deeper understanding of current issues, relating to ESD and specifically on quality higher education.

Key terms: Education for Sustainable Development: economic growth and development: higher education, quality education: sustainable development Goal 4: Zimbabwe.

I. INTRODUCTION

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) (2005-2014)significantly highlighted the crucial role that higher education must play in the universal journey towards sustainable development (Mohauty and Dash, 2018;Boereen, 2019; UN, 2015, UNESCO, 2017b).