The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the fourth of which is “quality education”, namely: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.  (Click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are 10 targets, the eighth of which is “Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all”.

● Current Situation

About the World

Facilities in School Affecting Teaching

School facilities are complex to be assessed as they have many fields involved. However, school surveys indicate that the facilities often impeded instruction in countries of all income levels, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged schools. The 2013 Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study in Latin America showed that more than four-fifths of the richest grade three students attended schools with adequate water and sanitation facilities, while only one-third of the poorest students did.

Photo source: UNICEF website

Primary schools in many poorer countries lack access to electricity. In sub-Saharan Africa, only twenty two percentage of primary schools have electricity. Disparity also exists in technology and internet access among and within countries, with rural schools less likely to be connected than urban schools. 

Text source: Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO 

About China

Set up a Comprehensive Education System 

Education is the basis of comprehensive development, and receiving quality education is the basic right for all. 

Photo source:pjcl.org.cn

China has established a comprehensive education system, promulgated the regulations on education for the disabled, and set up a chapter on "education" in the law on the protection of the disabled, stipulating that "the state guarantees that the disabled enjoy the equal right to receive education.". The state has set up special education for disabled children and adolescents. Special education classes are attached to compulsory education schools. Special training institutions are set up for vocational education for disabled people. Higher education is equal to the admission of disabled people, and graduate degrees in disability research are set up.

Text source: iolaw.org.cn 

●  Cases

About the World

Inclusive Education Proposed by UNESCO 

At the World Conference on Education for Special Needs held in Salamanca, Spain, on 10 June 1994, UNESCO officially proposed the concept of Inclusive Education. Through the Salamanca Declaration, the Congress put forward five principles, namely: every child has the basic right to education; every child has its own unique personality, interest, ability and learning needs; schools must pay attention to the different characteristics and needs of students; schools should accept all students and meet their special educational needs; schools should provide an effective education, anti-corruption to exclude and discriminate against students.

Photo source: UNICEF

Inclusive Education provides a modern theoretical framework and practical experience, including teaching methods, aids and materials. It is a kind of "individualized teaching" for people in modern society.

Text source: people.net

About China

Child Friendly City in Shenzhen

In 2016, Shenzhen took the lead in systematically proposing the goal of "building China's first child friendly city" and advocating "viewing the city from the height of one meter". At present, the construction of Child Friendly City in Shenzhen has developed from the initial "concept" to a comprehensive "reality". 

Photo source: sohu.com

By the end of 2019, there have  been 69 children friendly pilot communities, streets and parks, 17 schools, 11 libraries, 13 hospitals, 21 children friendly practice bases and 686 women's and children's homes in the city. More than 1000 parks have been built, and facilities such as children's activity space and natural education have been gradually improved. Child friendly travel has been incorporated into the transformation of some slow roads. Shenzhen's exploration and practice won the first "China Urban Governance Innovation Award". 

Text source: sohu.com

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.