Education is about so much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. Good teachers help students learn how to think critically, read broadly, and dig deeper to understand the complexities of our world. Learning comes in many forms, and it is not bound to any particular age group or demographic. As Albert Einstein once said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
On a personal level, education is what enables us to make thoughtful decisions about our own lives, and to maintain an open mind about other cultures, contexts, and ways of thinking. On a societal level, education encourages dialogue and problem-solving by equipping members of a community with the tools and skillset to imagine new possibilities.
Access to education is itself a gift not granted to everyone; in 2017, a UNESCO report revealed that 264 million children, or about 10% of the world’s children, don’t have ready access to schooling. Considering that disparity, it feels more important than ever to champion the importance of education, whether you are a teacher, a student, or both (as we all are!).
Here, we’ve collected 15 quotes that speak to the critical role education plays in our lives, both now and for the future.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.Benjamin Franklin
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.Malcolm X
Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.Confucius
Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.Malcolm Forbes
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.John Dewey
Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom.George Washington Carver
The purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.Sydney J. Harris
The ability to read, write, and analyze; the confidence to stand up and demand justice and equality; the qualifications and connections to get your foot in the door and take your seat at the table — all of that starts with education.Michelle Obama
The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.Jean Piaget
The content of a book holds the power of education and it is with this power that we can shape our future and change lives.Malala Yousafzai
The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.John F. Kennedy
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.Plutarch
Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.Anthony J. D’Angelo
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.Nelson Mandela
Featured image credit: Jeremy Bishop/ Unsplash
