Education has a vital role to play in meeting every one of the UN's 17 SDGs. To solve an issue, first you must understand it and education gives all humans the foundation on which to build knowledge, and, via curiosity, learn and progress.

But what about education itself? Are people - young and old - around the world getting the opportunities to learn that they deserve? Are they even getting their basic needs met to be in a position to start learning?

SDG 4 is… QUALITY EDUCATION - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Expert guest Nathan Atkinson has a stellar career in education and sustainability is a huge part of his purpose and approach. He's a richly experienced Headteacher who is also co-founder of Rethink Food, which aims to deliver 10 million hours of education in support of improved food security.

In this episode, Kate and Nathan discuss...

The global context. What is the nature of the challenge to improve the current situation where hundreds of millions of young people don't get basic levels of education. Where are the inequalities, what's the direction of travel and how can these macro level problems be addressed? Nathan has experience of working with teachers across the world and is able to bring  to life the vast variety of contexts, approaches and solutions that are out there.

A national and regional focus. What particular challenges does the UK face? Are teachers overwhelmed? What about funding levels? How do we address a growing mental health crisis in young people that drastically affects their education and future prospects? Nathan describes the in-school experiences that inspired him to co-found Rethink Food and explains how food is the perfect vehicle to address basic "ready-to-learn" needs plus provides a clear path to explore and ingrain sustainability.

Finally Nathan and Kate bring the conversation to a practical focus. What can be done to actually deliver SDG 4 at global, national and regional scales? Plus, how can we help? What one thing can we stop doing, and what one thing can we start doing that will make a real positive difference, right now?

To find about more about Rethink Food, visit rethinkfood.co.uk

The 17 is a podcast themed around the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A new episode is published on the 17th of each month, and explores a different one of the 17 goals in detail. 

The UN SDGs represent an all-encompassing plan to protect the future of our planet, it is our responsibility to know what they are, understand them, and make sure that we are doing our bit to help.

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The 17 is produced by Bwlb - www.bwlb.co.uk