SDG 4 Quality Education

Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

There is so much we take for granted here in Australia when it comes to schooling and you read all the subgoals for this goal. We complain about dropping scores in global testing, in NAPLAN and lack of enough casual teachers, not the things listed here. Everyone in Australia has access to education that is safe, well-resourced and free so we should take advantage of it.

There are so many good books for this goal. Find some here.

If you just want to show very young children how different school can be from what they experience, read something like Rain School  by James Rumford or Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve- Bodeen.

Here's the blurb:

It is the first day of school in Chad, Africa. Children are filling the road. "Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks. "Will they give us a pencil?" "Will I learn to read?" But when he and the other children arrive at the school yard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson." James Rumford, who lived in Chad as a Peace Corps volunteer, fills these pages with the vibrant colours of Africa and the spare words of a poet to show how important learning is in a country where only a few children are able to go to school. 

Here's the blurb:

In this Tanzanian story it's the first day of school and Elizabeti can hardly wait. She puts on her new uniform and feels her shiny shoes. School must surely be a very special place!
Shortly after arriving at school, however, Elizabeti begins to miss her family. What if Mama needs help cleaning the rice? What if her baby sister wants to play? What if her little brother wants to go for a walk? But soon Elizabeti is making friends and learning her lessons. Best of all, she shares her experiences with her family that evening - and can apply what she has learned right away.

However, if you want students to know that school is not easily accessed for everyone, think about reading something more biographical, such as a book about Malala Yousafzai, Tererai Trent or Razia Jan.

 

There are three things to do:

Before reading ask:

How would you describe your school to someone who doesn't go to it? What is good about it?

Record the book you read

We read...

Finish this 

I wonder what education is like for ...