The Educational Cost of The War on Terror

                  Last week, there was an article by Chris Wragge entitled: “The Financial and Emotional Costs of 9/11.”  According to the article, the US has spent approximately 2.3 trillion dollars on the war on terror since 9/11 with 1.3 trillion being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan[i].

                The article’s premise was to provide the reader with a snapshot of the monetary, human, and individual costs of the war on terror.  With over 6,000 US troops lost, trillions of dollars spent, and changes to our lifestyle, Wragge attempted to remind the reader the of the sacrifices that have been made in the war on terror.  While, Wragge’s article failed to discuss the costs the war on terror has on the economy, equally absent from his discussion is the costs to our countries most precious resource:  the education of our children.

 

                The educational costs due to the war on terror is something that is not discussed because it would be difficult to estimate the continuous affect the war has on the delivery of education to children.  The trillions of dollars the government has spent on the war on terror diverted funding away from education (and social services).  The loss of funds over the past 10 years slowly deteriorated an already fragile educational system.  We are now beginning to witness the effects of the diverted funds which are responsible for a majority of the large budget deficits in urban and suburban districts.

                When the war on terror began after 9/11, the country became singularly focused on the prevention of future occurrences (i.e.: Homeland Security) and retaliation for the horrific attack on US soil.  Because of this singular focus, education (and the economy) was neglected.  The money diverted for the war, ended government funded programs aimed at improving core subjects such as reading, math and science.  Programs that funded afterschool programs, paid for tutoring services, and small grants to teachers and students for academic enrichment projects are just some of the things that were lost over the years to diverted funds for the war on terror.  Also lost were school to work programs that focused on connecting academic content to workforce expectations.  Prior to 9/11, there was a national focus on developing a smarter workforce by equipping students with the skills needed to compete in a global economy.  The funding for school to work programs was diverted as the national attention turned to the war on terror and the students were left ill repaired to compete in the global economy. Finally, the massive layoffs of school staff, the closing of school buildings and cuts to extracurricular activities to districts around the country are a culmination of 10 years of lost funds. 

                Wragge’s attempt to portray the financial and emotional costs of the war on terror should remind us of the unexpected costs to the education of our children.  While we may never know how the loss of enrichment and remedial programs, the loss of extra-curricular activities, and the loss of staff may impact the education of our children, we may eventually end up winning the war on terror, but we will lose the educational advantage and ability to compete in the global market.

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[i] www.cbsnews.com/2102-500202_162-20103906