Towards the first generation free of child labour

An integrated and interdependent analysis of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in relation to Target 8.7

4. Quality education

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. For example, the world has achieved equality in primary education between girls and boys, but few countries have achieved that target at all levels of education.

Increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. As has been noted, educational attainment is associated directly with the likelihood of obtaining decent work and with child labour: by hindering education or influencing the attainments of children and adolescents, child labour represents an obstacle to achieving this target.