Increase global education access by asking Congress to pass the READ Act
After reading Keshava Badri’s article on June 23 regarding Lake Washington School District and other districts in the Puget Sound region facing enrollment declines, I felt compelled to comment on the increasing anxiety and uncertainty that students, parents, and staff may be feeling about the challenges we face in the near future. The many potential closures of schools in the greater Seattle area likely mark the beginning of a new structure for the education systems nearest to us.
This local enrollment decline isn’t just a number, but represents the global challenge of ensuring every person has access to quality education. While our community is seeing fewer students in classrooms, other parts of the world face the opposite problem with a complete lack of resources to support educating the number of potential learners. As we look for ways to support our schools and students, it’s essential to remember that millions of people worldwide are still waiting for the chance to even start their educational journey.
According to The Borgen Project — a non-profit organization working to diplomatically eradicate world poverty — there are over 58 million primary school-aged children across the globe not attending school. The Borgen Project also states that, when including those enrolled in substandard conditions, more than 260 million primary school-aged children do not have access to a high quality education. Finally, The Borgen Project concluded that over 500 million women around the world are illiterate due to gender discrimination in school.
One piece of legislation that our federal government implemented to combat these trying statistics is the READ Act. The Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act (READ Act) was first signed into law in 2017, when nearly 263 million children around the world were without education. Its main goal was to provide education to children in conflict ridden and politically unstable nations, while also aiming to improve the overall quality of education. Some examples of the actions sparked by the READ Act include providing training for teachers and testing materials to measure educational outcomes, the monitoring and evaluation of education programs in critical areas, appointing a designated Senior Coordinator of United States International Basic Education Assistance to promote education within USAID, and amending goals in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 — which created USAID — to develop a more sustainable plan to establish universal basic education.
The READ Act works on a global scale to partner with programs, such as Global Partnership for Education, to improve education accessibility and quality in lower-income countries. These programs directly result in achieving literacy milestones and promoting education as a foundation of sustained economic growth. Furthermore, because of the increased quality of education, this act and supported programs directly result in reducing child marriages, decreasing terrorism and violence, lessening poverty, encouraging gender equality, and saving lives. Over five years through 2022, the READ Act has supported over 122 million students and leaders, and can continue to support even more with our help.
It may be hard to believe that spending money towards education for foreign countries is worth our tax dollars. However, the READ Act not only positively contributes to providing educational programs for lower-income countries, but it also stimulates our own economic growth by opening new markets for business, reducing the risk of terrorism, and ensuring our national security and the security of Americans living abroad. Additionally, a five-year extension of this bill would only cost $500,000, which is a small fraction of the overall federal budget. It would not increase budget deficits and would only be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
As a community, we pride ourselves on supporting our schools and students. This spirit of support should extend beyond our own borders. The READ Act allows us to take that same dedication to education and apply it to help children globally, ensuring that education is a right enjoyed by all.
This year, the House of Representatives is debating the merits of reauthorizing the READ Act as part of the fiscal year 2025 budget. I urge Sammamish residents to take 45 seconds to contact our representative, Dr. Kim Schirer, and ask for her support of the READ Act. Every one of us can email our representative by going to The Borgen Project website. I have even created a video that takes you through every step of this process.
Together, we can all make a difference in the lives and education of people across the globe.
Hailey Alt is a graduate of Skyline High School and the University of Washington. She is currently a Borgen Project Ambassador and resides in Sammamish.
