The right to an education?

Vincent J. Curtis

25 Oct 23

RE: Canada must prioritize female education.  Op-ed by Mavalow christelle Kalhoule, who is some worthy that supports children’s education in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali.

A person schooled in Aristotelian philosophy can often get a good laugh at progressives explaining the philosophy behind their beliefs.  The author expresses the belief that “[f]undamentally, education is a human right.”  If that were true, then that would excuse residential schools, for all the government of Canada was doing was enforcing the rights of aboriginal children to be educated in accordance with Western standards.

No, equal treatment under law is the right the author is searching for.  In most countries, schooling (something distinct from education) is an obligation that society enforces on its young.  In Ontario, that obligation ends at 16 years of age; and nobody has a right to attend university or community college.

The author writes about countries and societies that may not be able afford to educate all its young, and may prioritize the education of males over females for reasons of expediency.  That sucks, and that’s where Canada may be able to help.

But other societies limit the education of females to keep them down.  We know which societies those are, and their presence in West Africa is coming to dominate through the usual methods.  In those societies, Canada has to recognize the political implications of assisting with the education of females.  It’s not a simple matter of charity, as the author seems to imply.

Canada already prioritizes, even over-prioritizes, the education of women; helping other societies can be complicated.

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