Education act could help prevent conflict

The bipartisan Education for All Act of 2011 (H.R. 2705) has been introduced into the U.S. Congress.

Former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson has stated, “A crucial effort in fighting terrorism must be support for public education in the Muslim world, which is the best way to mitigate the role of those madrassas (Islamic religion schools) that foment extremism.” Many peasant children attend these schools because there are no other schools available.

The true cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is in the trillions. We spend a tiny fraction of 1 percent (far less than 1 percent!) of our national budget on global education, yet education nourishes peace. Consider these points:

For every year of school a boy attends, there is a 20 percent decrease in the likelihood he will engage in violent activity. Studies show that increasing the percentage of children in school by just 10 percent decreases the likelihood of conflict in that country.

One out of three elementary-school-aged kids in sub-Saharan Africa is not in school. Millions more receive a poor-quality education and will not learn to read, write and count.

We need to support H.R. 2705.

— Donna Schindler Munro, Bremerton

True equality?

The headline to your Sept. 29 editorial, “Core academic standards give students clear goals,” made sense, but the lead paragraph’s assertion that “the result would be a coherent educational system with the opportunity of education truly equalized,” is misleading.

All that would be equalized is that the standards would be available for everyone who chose to look. Would they be equally available to student with no home computer, students who are distracted by illness, hunger, poverty, homelessness or inadequate previous schooling?

Because equal achievement is not possible, equal opportunity should be the goal. But our society has many problems to work on before opportunity can be equalized. That work needs to be part of the discussion about education.

Those of us living in Seattle can help by voting for the Families and Education Levy.

— Mary Wallon, Seattle