Lynn C. Woolsey: “Every parent, every parent, whether living in the United States or in Iraq, wants only the best for their children. They…”

“Every parent, every parent, whether living in the United States or in Iraq, wants only the best for their children. They want their kids to feel safe and to have the very best of everything. And every parent wants their child to get a quality education. Worldwide over 100 million children do not attend school. Unfortunately, the trends of school attendance in Iraq are very discouraging. According to recent UNICEF reports, high levels of street violence and lawlessness are keeping school attendance levels, particularly of girls, to low levels. Often because families can no longer afford to keep their children in school, girls are pulled out to assist their families with household work and to look after younger siblings while their brothers finish school. The large refugee crisis is another impediment to education. UNHCR estimates that 500,000 school-age Iraqi children now live in neighboring countries. This could put a severe strain on neighboring countries' schools and their school systems, that is, if children are even allowed to attend school while living as a refugee. Additionally, refugee families often do not have money for tuition, and refugee children may not speak the local language. This summer, the United Nations launched a global appeal for $129 million to get more Iraqi refugee children into schools. This is just a Band-Aid, Mr. Speaker, on the situation.”