IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON AGENDA 2030: A STUDY ON SDG 4—EDUCATION

Abstract

Never in the history of humanity have the private sector, civil society, and governments come together around a common goal. This is the great achievement of Agenda 2030, the establishment of clear, indivisible, and inseparable objectives set by the UN in 2015 as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recognizing the importance of this document, this study investigates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of Agenda 2030, with an emphasis on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), focused on education. Grounded in a quantitative-qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, the research examines legislative proposals from the Brazilian Federal Legislature, government reports, and literature relevant to Agenda 2030. Divided into three parts, the article begins by analyzing the global targets set for SDG 4, providing a detailed overview of internationally outlined educational priorities. Subsequently, it investigates the governmental measures adopted by the Brazilian federal government during the pandemic, highlighting their specific impact on education and identifying delays in achieving the proposed goals of Agenda 2030. The final section of the study delves into recent budgetary data, revealing a significant reduction in resources allocated to education and its implications across various spheres. The results point to an exacerbated challenge in achieving SDG 4, attributed to a lack of effective governmental actions, particularly on the part of the federal government, and a considerable decrease in financial resources allocated to education. This scenario reveals a concerning neglect of the priorities of Agenda 2030 in the contemporary Brazilian political landscape. In summary, the study highlights the substantial repercussions of the pandemic on the attainment of educational goals outlined in Agenda 2030, emphasizing the urgency of more effective approaches and robust commitments to ensure the realization of these objectives amid post-pandemic challenges.