SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal description
« Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving people’s lives and sustainable development. Major progress has been made towards increasing access to education at all levels and increasing enrolment rates in schools particularly for women and girls. Basic literacy skills have improved tremendously, yet bolder efforts are needed to make even greater strides for achieving universal education goals. […]»
Excerpt from Swiss target 4.6: The entire education system is accessible; transfers and restarts are possible. [...] The demand for basic skill education programmes is rising, the programmes record more participants.
Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the percentage of the permanent resident population aged 25 to 64 participating in non-formal continuing education activities. Continuing education enables people to add to their knowledge, to understand changes in society and to adapt to those changes. It is also a source of personal satisfaction, encouraging contact between people with shared interests. Taking part in continuing education is, therefore, a step towards sustainable development.
Help for interpretation
Non-formal education includes activities taking place in a student-teacher context but which are not provided by the formal education system. These may be, for example, courses, conferences, seminars, private courses or guided on-the-job training.
International comparability
The indicator can be compared with the Eurostat indicator “Participation in non-formal education”.
Synthesis
By sex
By nationality
Comments: No assessment possible for this indicator due to a break in the time series.
According to the social justice and equality of opportunity principles, gender equality is a key component of sustainable development. For this reason this indicator is also presented with a distinction made between men and women.
According to the social justice and equality of opportunity principles, gender equality is a key component of sustainable development. For this reason this indicator also makes a distinction between men and women.
Tables
Methodology
The indicator shows the percentage of the permanent resident population aged 25 to 64 participating in non-formal continuing education activities. Non-formal education includes activities taking place in a student-teacher context but which are not provided by the formal education system. These may be, for example, courses, conferences, seminars, private courses or guided on-the-job training.
Data come from the Federal Statistical Office’s Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) (2006-2009) and the Swiss Adult Education Survey microcensus (2011). The changeover to the Swiss Adult Education Survey microcensus in 2011 led to a break in the time series.
Targets
Excerpt from Swiss target 4.6: The entire education system is accessible; transfers and restarts are possible. [...] The demand for basic skill education programmes is rising, the programmes record more participants.
International target 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
Contact
Federal Statistical Office Section Environment, Sustainable Development, TerritoryEspace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland