Letter: Don’t let the education crisis make child poverty worse

Students Arelyanna, 3, and Javier, 2, play with their toy cars to wrap up the day at Cuidando Los Ninos in Albuquerque, N.M. The charity provides housing, child care and financial counseling for mothers, all of whom will benefit from expanded Child Tax Credit payments that will start flowing in July to roughly 39 million households. | Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press

At one point, almost every child on the planet was out of school and every parent was left to figure out a new daily reality. For many, this marked a transition to online or hybrid learning. But for many other children facing poverty, isolation or pushed to the margins, it has meant no school at all.

The education crisis brought on by COVID-19 threatens the historic progress made by communities globally to get millions more children in school. Urgent action is needed so the COVID-19 education crisis does not become a catastrophe for an entire generation.

As the only international fund of its kind, the Global Partnership for Education, or GPE, marshals global resources for national education plans. Now, GPE and its partners have a five-year plan to support learning for 175 million more children in lower-income countries, helping recovery from the pandemic.

The Biden administration must do its part with a $1 billion five-year commitment to GPE. At this critical moment in global history, a bold pledge will show that the U.S. is committed to working hand in hand with the global community to ensure every child can achieve their dreams and reach their potential.

An educated world will make it better for everyone.

Gregory Hogan

Salt Lake City

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