Copyright 2002 The Christian Science Publishing Society Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA)
November 22, 2002, Friday
SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 11
LENGTH:
492 words
HEADLINE: Money talks ... and
teaches
BYLINE: By George Ingram
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY: The events of the past year have brought home America's leadership role
in an interconnected world.
As the US Departments of
State and Education today complete their celebration of International
Education Week - an effort to promote Americans' understanding of other nations
and to encourage their understanding of us - we should keep sight of a more
crucial education issue: the depressing reality that 120 million children in
developing countries do not attend school. And we should not forget that the US
has the means and expertise to catalyze global action to put the situation
right.
In 1990, at the World Conference on Education
for All (EFA) in Thailand, the nations of the world committed themselves to
provide basic education to all children by 2000 - an
unfulfilled promise. Good intentions and modest improvements were no substitute
for the sustained and coordinated efforts that should have followed the
declaration. Another generation of children lost out on crucial learning
years.
The global community met again in 2000 to
examine progress and failure, and the EFA target was reset for 2015 and the
movement reenergized.
Increased access to basic education in the developing world is in our national
interest. The Bush administration has rightly made education a focal point of
both domestic and foreign policy. Indeed, Secretary of State Colin Powell has
said: "Education is a common value - a positive path that can lead to a more
secure future for all citizens."
Now is the time to
back up declarations with deeds. Funds necessary to bring more children into
school and give them a quality education have yet to be put on the table.
That opportunity presents itself next week at the EFA
donors group meeting in Brussels. The US can set the example by dedicating the
funds and taking the lead in encouraging other wealthy nations to commit real
money as well.
Without basic
education, development will not happen. It lays the foundation for
democracy, wealth, and employment. It influences the way one thinks and
perceives the world, leads to increased stability and prosperity, is an antidote
to despair and discontent, and promotes tolerance and improved health.
A number of nations have laid the groundwork, addressing
inequities and problems in their education systems, and making budget
adjustments to bear the brunt of the cost for schooling their children. Experts
believe that many can achieve universal primary education by the 2015 target -
but only with immediate, additional financing to support their programs.
The US is best positioned to encourage progress. At stake
is the future of 120 million children who have never been in a classroom - and
the fate of their nations. Can we really afford to wait any longer?
* George Ingram is executive director of the Basic Education Coalition, a group of 16 development
organizations in Washington, D.C.
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