Child Poverty: Let's Talk About It

Not knowing is one thing, not caring is another.

Check this chart from the OECD. While not the entire world, mostly Europe, Australia, NZ, US and Canada, not the kind of thing you want to be #1.



Also, keep in mind Norway has 4,796,700 people, Sweden has 9,234,2094, The US has 305,904,000.

Matt's point:

"There are things we could do to get more out of our school system, but ultimately it’s inconceivable to me that we’ll ever get a first-rate levels of educational attainment with these kind of child poverty rate — it basically guarantees that portions of the system will be overburdened by too many children with too many problems. That’ll be fine for those getting the long end of the hyper-inequality, but it’s sad to see the extent to which we’re slouching toward that future without any public acknowledgment of it or debate about the wisdom of our priorities. You would think that something like being by far the world leader in child poverty would dominate the political agenda — instead you never see it mentioned."

Education is the key, uniting people is the key. Getting rid of "No Child Left Behind" standardized assessments is key. Paying teachers and supporting unions is key.

This is not an "us and them" problem. This is our problem.

Source: Matthew Yglesias