As the official data source for SDG 4, the UIS is working with countries and partners to build consensus around the measurement agenda, while developing the indicators, standards and tools needed to monitor progress and help countries improve the quality and use of their data in the pursuit of their development goals.

The UIS is bringing together stakeholders from across the international education community through two flagship initiatives that will be meeting in September.

Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML)

Hosted by the UIS, GAML is designed to improve learning outcomes by supporting national strategies for learning assessments and developing internationally-comparable indicators and methodological tools to measure progress towards key targets of SDG 4.

The sixth meeting will take place in Yerevan (Armenia) from 27-28 August, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia. The meeting will bring together a wide range of experts and decisionmakers involved in national, regional and cross-national learning assessment initiatives, as well as donors and civil society groups.

Key issues to be discussed: 

  • new developments to upgrade indicators that are currently considered Tier II and Tier III;
  • alternative linking strategies for reporting on Indicator 4.1.1;
  • recommendations on criteria to develop learning targets;
  • challenges in reporting and validating learning assessment data as well as using the data for policymaking;
  • capacity development within countries.

Technical Cooperation Group on the Indicators for SDG 4 – Education 2030 (TCG)

GAML will also be preparing recommendations for the TCG, which will also meet in Yerevan from 29-30 August.

The TCG builds political consensus on the SDG 4 measurement agenda by bringing together Member States, multilateral agencies and civil society groups. The sixth meeting will address the following objectives:

  • review and endorse methodological developments made since the last TCG meeting, including the development of new indicators;
  • finalize the list of indicators to be published in 2020;
  • discuss and update, if necessary, the SDG 4 data validation process;
  • agree on the process to develop benchmarking for a set of indicators;
  • identify areas for improvement in data production and funding.

Hosted by the UIS, the TCG first began meeting in 2016 and has made considerable progress in addressing the technical issues and expanding the options to help countries produce the SDG 4 global and thematic monitoring indicators. Learn more about recent meetings of the TCG.