The news that Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) is wanting to increase its expenditure by a million dollars in the coming year is likely to meet with a chilly reception in this country—which would have to find its share of the dollars. I say " would " rather than " will," because it seems to me highly improbable that Unesco will get its money and highly undesirable that it should, until it makes much better use than it has so far of the funds it already possesses. International co-operation in education, science and culture is obviously to be welcomed in itself, but Unesco has conspicuously failed so far to carry conviction. It has on the contrary created the impression that in a time of financial stringency it is frittering money away on a number of fanciful and relatively valueless projects. If they ate not valueless the attempt to demonstrate their value is signally unsuccessful. What, for example, is meant by " developing the already important publica- tions programme of the fundamental education clearing-house " ? And is it really true that to make the scientific facts on race available to institutions of higher learning will enable racial prejudice to be combated " on a population level " ? Racial prejudice raises psychological and moral, not scientific, questions. What Unesco appears to need is a thorough overhaul, not more dollars.
Previous page
