Assessing Pakistan's Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 -Policy- Practice Gaps and Implementation Challenges

Abstract

The SDG4 quality education is recognized as a critical indicator toward the SDGs. The leading indicator of Sustainable Development Goal 4 is the quality of education. This goal can be achieved through a quality system. The main objective of this study was to examine the progress in achieving the SDGs in Pakistan. A qualitative research design was employed. A hermeneutic-phenomenological approach was used. Sixteen participants were purposively selected for data collection. These participants were directly involved in implementing SDG 4 in educational institutions. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool. Responses were recorded and transcribed. Initially, data analysis was conducted using a thematic approach. The findings of this study highlight the slow to moderate progress in achieving SDG 4 in Pakistan. Several gaps remain in key areas, including policy implementation, teacher training, curriculum integration, and assessment. The study highlights significant challenges and barriers to implementing SDG 4 in Pakistan. These include the lack of an appropriate policy framework, financial constraints, inadequate teacher training, and incomplete data monitoring. The article presents recommendations to enhance policy alignment, curriculum change, teacher development, and assessment to promote an inclusive and sustainable education sector in Pakistan. The results highlight slow-to-moderate improvements in access and attainment indicators. and a sustainable educational system in Pakistan.