Just as we are getting children settled into school for the year, startling new information on global education has come out.
The world has set global goals to ensure all children get a quality education by 2030. But new data from UNESCO says that 250 million school-age children are not in school — 6 million more since 2021. That’s one in six of the world’s children. And for the world to achieve the 2030 goals, we must enroll one child in school every two seconds between now and 2030.
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But there is hope. The bipartisan Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act Reauthorization of 2023 seeks to address this crisis in part. The READ Act boosts U.S. leadership on global education to ensure all vulnerable children have access to quality education. The READ Act is a proven policy that builds strong partnerships and delivers results. It will empower the world to get back on track with education, particularly for girls and young people in conflict-ridden nations.
Our senators and representatives should cosponsor the READ Act (H.R. 681, S.41) and push to move the bill through Congress by the end of September. We can’t wait on education.
Meredith West, East Ukrainian Village
No cash bail easily explained
I feel compelled to give a shoutout to Matthew Hendrickson’s article “Illinois becomes first state in nation to eliminate cash bail: Here’s how it will work.” The article truly delivers. It explains in a matter-of-fact way exactly what the title says it will explain: how the law will work. No angle, just pure fact. Anyone who doesn’t want to read the long, boring statue that our legislators voted on, but still wants to understand its content, should read that article.
It is occasionally refreshing to read ‘just the facts’ on a controversial topic, if not informative too. It is nice to know that there are still newspapers out there that offer such a thing.
Ari Wener, New East Side
Age-old question
I am 71 years old. I walk, I exercise. Someone needs to tell the national media to get off the Joe Biden’s “too old” kick.
It’s not how old you are. It’s the physical shape you are in.
Bernie Sanders is the same age as Biden and he’s in terrific physical shape for a man his age. I have seen video clips of the president peddling a bicycle at his Delaware home and doing some jogging, too. He does it very well for an 80-year-old man.
Why is the national media ignoring the age question about Donald Trump, who is only three years younger than Biden? He is fat and out of shape. I will bet Trump has a high cholesterol count and high blood pressure.
CNN, MSNBC and Fox News are all to blame for this. They are giving Trump a pass. If Biden is too old, then Trump is too.
If a pollster calls me and asks that age question about Biden, I will give him or her a piece of my mind.
No, he’s not too old. He’s in fine physical shape. And I intend to vote for him again in 2024. So everyone shut up about it. And that goes for the haughty media as well.
Herb Vermaas, Salem
