Education in Emergencies: Securing the future of SDG4 amidst global crises

We have just six years left to deliver on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, including SDG4. But in recent years, the world has witnessed sudden disruptions depriving millions of children of their learning opportunities. Whether due to conflict, climate change or COVID-19, 224 million school-aged children(1) globally urgently need educational support due to crises. When emergencies hit, leaders and decision makers are faced with an overwhelming number of competing needs that can often obscure the life-saving, and life-protecting nature of education, and remains one of the least funded humanitarian areas. Protection and prioritisation of education in emergencies is essential to advance education for sustainable development and the realisation of SDG4.

There is a record need for international support at a time when emergencies such as the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, and climate emergencies, such as those recovering from severe tropical storm Cyclone Freddy in South and East Africa, are having huge impacts on education. These challenges are exacerbated by inadequate preparedness to address hazards. Emergencies can also deepen existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting those who are most marginalised and experiencing multiple, intersecting and complex challenges such as gender discrimination, poverty, disability, or displacement. These children are most likely to be excluded from education before, during and after an emergency occurs.(2)

Despite the scale of the challenges, progress is within reach. By prioritising inclusive and resilient education systems, investing in preparedness and honouring commitments to protect children’s learning during emergencies, we can pave the way for sustainable development. As the UK and the international community confront the unprecedented scale of threats facing children’s education, now is the time to act decisively and ensure that every child, no matter their circumstances, has the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Send My Friend to School (SMFTS) is the UK civil society coalition of international development NGOs, teachers’ unions and charities, bringing together young people, politicians, teachers, civil society and the media in joint campaigning to demand a quality, inclusive education for all children across the globe. We are part of the wider Global Campaign for Education (GCE) movement, based in almost 100 countries around the world.(3) This year, the Let My Friends Learn campaign(4) urges the UK Government to ensure that every child, everywhere has their learning protected during emergencies: key to a sustainable future.

Send My Friend to School Campaign Champion, Jess (14) from Croxley Danes School states: “We need to hold the government to account to make sure they fulfil their promises, and ensure that no child is denied the right to an education because of emergencies. We need our leaders to speak out and support other countries- as they should not have to face these challenges alone”.

We are asking the UK government to take action from the UK on the following areas to ensure that no child is denied the right to education in times of emergencies:

PREPARE: Strengthen preparedness and anticipatory action in education systems.
PROTECT: Ensure children are safe, protected and learning during an emergency.
INVEST: Rapidly scale up financing for Education in Emergencies and global education resilience strengthening.
ACT: Provide global leadership to protect children’s right to education in emergencies.

As the clock ticks towards the 2030 agenda, the urgency is clear. We need to act now to secure the future of every child’s education, ensuring they have the opportunity to learn, thrive, and build a sustainable future.

Bigraphy

Bekah is the Campaign Manager at Send My Friend to School, the UK’s coalition of INGOs, charities, teachers unions, young people, politicians and the media who come together to campaign for the right of every child in the world to access a quality and inclusive education. Bekah worked previously as a secondary school English teacher, before moving into programme management and refugee campaigning in the UK and Greece. She holds a Masters degree in Education, Gender and International Development from the Institute of Education at UCL. Bekah has a particular interest in meaningful youth participation in policy and campaigning.

(1)https://www.educationcannotwait.org/news-stories/press-releases/number-crisisimpacted-children-in-need-education-support-rises

(2)https://sendmyfriend.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Let-My-Friends-Learn-EiEpolicy-report.pdf

(3)https://campaignforeducation.org/en/

(4)https://sendmyfriend.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Let-My-Friends-Learn-EiEpolicy-report.pdf

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BY REBEKAH LUCKING • June 24, 2024

Sparks Bristol

By Ann Beatty • April 4, 2025

Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025

Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.

Igniting a movement for education for all

By Hannah Frisch • March 7, 2025

The outlook for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on global education is far from rosy. But a gloomy future isn’t inevitable. Disappointing statistics are the result of political choices that can be shifted and there are thousands of youth, grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the UK advocating for global education to make these changes. We need more people involved to build the momentum, we need to make a difference in challenging circumstances. You can help! Here’s how; Making global education a UK priority The UK is an important donor and champion for global education. However, education has been gradually deprioritised on the development agenda. Global education spending has plummeted from 13.5% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 to just 3.5% in 2023, and education was one of the sectors hit hardest by the abandonment of the 0.7% gross national income (GNI) target for ODA. With Labour’s annual budget confirming another reduction in the aid budget, funding for global education is under threat of being cut even further unless we stand together to say this can’t happen. While education is a domestic priority for the new Government, it has yet to emerge as a strong theme in their development agenda. As the Labour Party continues to develop their approach there is a unique opportunity for advocates to connect these dots and make the case for why education must be a key part of the Government’s international plans. For the Government to take action it needs to hear demand for change. There are many issues MPs recognise are important, but if they do not hear about these issues from constituents it can be hard for MPs to be vocal about them in Parliament. Following an election where many parliamentary seats were won with tight margins, MPs need to hear from the people they represent that global education must be on their agenda. With over half of MPs elected for the first time this year, many are actively looking for a steer on what issues to work on. We can give them one! How to Get Involved Write to your MP about why global education needs to be a bigger priority for the UK Government and encourage members of groups you are a part of, such as your union branch or a local community group, to do the same. This can have a real impact on your MP’s interest and ability to act for global education. You can also connect with other grassroots activists and get resources for taking action from international development advocacy organisations like Results UK. You can learn more about Results UK’s grassroots network on our website. If you are a teacher, get your school involved in the Send My Friend to School Campaign (SMF). Send My Friend is a UK civil society coalition advocating for SDG4 which supports a mass UK schools campaign to amplify student voices calling for universal quality education in solidarity with their peers around the world. Free campaign packs are available on the SMF website for primary and secondary levels with everything teachers need to run the campaign in their school. Parliamentarians can learn more about education issues and how to act by joining the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, a cross-party group that brings together Parliamentarians interested in the right to education and provides them with knowledge and resources to be champions of the issue. By joining our voices through collective action, we can make a real difference in moving the needle on this issue. Together we have a chance to rechart the course for the realisation of quality education for all. BIOGRAPHY Hannah Frisch is the Senior Policy and Parliamentary Advocacy Officer for Education at Results UK and a Co-Chair of the Send My Friend to School Policy and Parliamentary Working Group. She is a policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education in the UK Parliament.