Dear Editor:
This week, children all across Canada will be going back to school. But what of the now 59 million children around the world from grades 1 to 7, many in conflict zones, who won’t be able to go to school?
There is clear evidence that education is the single-most important factor in improving the quality of life in developing countries.
Canada has supported education in developing countries through their contributions to the ODA (official development assistance) but, sadly, Canada’s contributions to ODA have steadily declined and now are at a deplorable 0.24 per cent of our gross national income instead of the 0.7 per cent that has been pledged. And only seven per cent of that 0.24 per cent goes to education.
That’s nowhere near good enough.
We have a federal election coming up. Plan to contact your candidates personally and go to all-candidate meetings to ask the candidates what they and their parties will do to correct this abysmal situation.
Now’s the time. Canada can, should and must do it.
Ann Frost
West Vancouver
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
