Dear Editor,
Our news is full of happy stories of wonderful achievers – even 3.5 to 4.8 grade point students who are ending high school and college with joy and hope for the future. But wait a minute! What about the 57 million children in many parts of the world who don’t even have a chance to enter a grade school? They are not happy, not able to experience even graduation from kindergarten.
Through the Global Partnership for Education the U.S. is asked to help support an international effort to educate the poorest of the poor and the disadvantaged. The U.S. is being asked to pledge $250 million over two years to help in the $3.5 billion needed to help the world community pay for primary education for those in the worst circumstances. The U.S. pledge is less than the cost of a jet fighter plane. Education is the only proven way to exchange knowledge for bullets.
Let your U.S. Representative know this pledge is important to you. Many of the Washington delegation have urged President Obama to support the pledge.
How much joy could be shown worldwide if all nations could be celebrating graduations from first through 12th grades instead of having kidnappings, murder, burning schools and keeping especially girls from being able to go to school.
David Corner
Tacoma, WA