Nicholas Kristof: The Toll of Our Education Wars

What happens with the world's poorest kids? View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, July 15, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Kristof »]( [A school near Ganta, Liberia, is run by a private company, Bridge International Academies.]( A school near Ganta, Liberia, is run by a private company, Bridge International Academies. Monique Jaques for The New York Times [The Toll of Our Education Wars]( If you think you’ve seen dysfunctional schools, consider those in poor countries. Indeed, some are non-existent — they’re “ghost schools” that exist only on paper, with payments for them going into some official’s pocket. [My Sunday column]( my last from my win-a-trip journey to Liberia, describes how U.S. teachers unions and well-meaning supporters are inadvertently undermining efforts to overhaul schools for some of the world’s [poorest kids](. Meanwhile, the Trump Russia saga continues. One thing that I think people may not fully realize is that the June 2016 meeting in Trump tower resembles [a classic Russian intelligence operation]( meant to test the receptiveness of a target and see whether the probe would be reported. In addition (as [my last column]( noted), I think we need more scrutiny of Jared Kushner’s effort to set up a secret communications channel to the Kremlin, and whether this involved secret Russian mobile comms equipment that could be used in Trump Tower or anywhere else. RIP, Liu Xiaobo. In a [piece after he died]( of liver cancer, I noted that he was the first Nobel Peace Prize winner to die in custody since the Nazi era, and that this reflects Xi Jinping’s harsh crackdown on freedom in China. Some day, I believe, there will be a memorial for Liu in Tiananmen Square; there never will be one for Xi. It’s fascinating and alarming to watch what’s unfolding in India, which in the past was an important example of multi-religious cooperation. In some respects, Prime Minister Modi has introduced useful economic reforms and health/development policies (such as a campaign against open defecation). But he has also encouraged Hindu nationalism that is playing with fire, and he should reflect on what happened next door in Pakistan when General Zia tried to use Islam as a glue to hold the country together and boost his own legitimacy; Pakistan is still suffering from the extremism that resulted. [Modi’s latest experiment]( is backing a firebrand Hindu cleric who is sometimes mentioned as a future prime minister. Now [here’s my column]( about education in a world where classrooms don’t have books or teachers, and where well-meaning Americans sometimes make things worse. [Read!]( ADVERTISEMENT I welcome suggestions for what to include in this newsletter. You can connect with me on [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google]( [Instagram]( and [Pinterest](. If you have friends who might enjoy this newsletter, forward this email; they can [sign up here](. Send feedback or tech questions to newsletters@nytimes.com. Recent Columns [All Roads Now Lead to Kushner]( The president’s son-in-law has lots of explaining to do. [Liu Xiaobo Has Suffered So Others May Be Free]( He embodies democratic values better than the leaders of our democratic countries. [Several hundred protesters outside the White House on Wednesday chanted, “No hate, no fear, trans students are welcome here.”]( Nicole Sganga [My Blog]( My blog, On the Ground, expands on my twice-weekly columns, sharing thoughts that shape the writing but don’t always make it into the 800-word text. It also features contributions from other writers. [Several hundred protesters outside the White House on Wednesday chanted, “No hate, no fear, trans students are welcome here.”](  [My Columns]( Explore a searchable collection of my previous columns dating back to 2001. ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NICHOLAS KRISTOF [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nickkristof]( [Instagram] [nickkristof]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Nicholas Kristof newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018