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The Many Meanings of Quality Education: Politics of Targets and Indicators in SDG4

Unterhalter, ES; (2019) The Many Meanings of Quality Education: Politics of Targets and Indicators in SDG4. Global Policy , 10 (S1) pp. 39-51. 10.1111/1758-5899.12591. Green open access

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Abstract

The formulation of the SDG education targets was more inclusive than the processes linked with the MDGs. Key constituencies making representations through the Open Working Group and other consultative processes succeeded in formulating targets that stressed inclusion, quality and equality in all phases of education. However, the development of the global indicators for SDG4, has resulted in metrics that miss many of the values of the targets, most notably with regard to quality and free education and substantive, not simply distributive, meanings of equality. The article analyses why some of these slippages took place, and what potential there may be to mobilise for metrics that better depict the key tenets of the education goal and targets. The analysis thus considers ways forward for exploring measurement of the many meanings of quality and equalities in education, reflecting on numbers as instruments that impose power and hierarchy, and the possibility of using reflections on numbers and indicators for critical dialogue and an enhancement of participation, accountability, and work to change injustices in education.

Type: Article
Title: The Many Meanings of Quality Education: Politics of Targets and Indicators in SDG4
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12591
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12591
Language: English
Additional information: © 2019 The Authors. Global Policy published by Durham University and John Wiley & Sons Ltd This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10055757
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