Approaching Uncertainty

US Leadership in Global Education: The Time is Now by Rebecca Winthrop
The Brookings Press, October 17, 2016

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In “US Leadership in Global Education: The Time is Now,” Rebecca Wintrhop of the Brookings Institute makes the case that school leaders and teachers must realize the role of education as a social mechanism to foster grassroots awareness and to impart skills for democracy. More specifically, she urges the United States to invest globally in education, especially the education of girls and women. Such an investment, she argues, besides being moral, will also offer good returns. It will prevent the risk of armed conflict, reduce poverty, and promote global health. The author urges the next US administration to make investing in educational equality a global priority. Additionally, she details an up-to-date report on the issue of global education inequality for girls and young women and provides a list of initiatives in which schools can involve their students to help them practice peaceful activism. The article serves as a reminder about the broad reach of education and the ways in which independent schools can serve a public purpose while offering examples of how to take a stand and exercise one’s democratic participation to help achieve global social justice in a time of uncertainty.