Five Quotes About the Value and Importance of Education for All
It's important to consider words of wisdom, especially those words concerning the importance of women in higher education.
By Al Dickenson — March 9, 2023
As we reflect on International Women's Day and are nearly one third of the way through International Women's Month, it's important to consider words of wisdom, especially those words concerning the importance of women in higher education. Below are seven quotes from a variety of historical figures, world leaders, and everyday men and women centering the value of an educated populace, and especially, educated women. We all can learn from the voices of those who educate and those who are educated, as well as those seeking education, for they show us a curiosity often lost in a wealth of knowledge.
"The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family," Jimmy Carter.
This quote from Jimmy Carter, the United States' 39th president, showcases how all- encompassing the value of educating our female population is. By educating women, not just in skills commonly associated with higher education like advanced mathematics and literary analysis but also the simpler skills used daily, not only is the woman improved, but also society. Because a woman knows how to secure financial liberation or has the knowledge to help her children with their homework, it gives a home more stability and therefore a better future. Though this knowledge base may only be at the ground or surface level, there is only room for growth ahead.
"One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world," Malala Yousafzai.
Malala Yousafzai nearly paid the ultimate price for her words and actions. The historical and current mistreatment of women around the world still centers education access. In this quote, Yousafzai looks to the future. There is an echo of Carter's words in that all it takes to make a difference is a single individual. Yousafzai actually takes the words a step further, into action. She has made a difference in the world as a single individual, fighting for education rights for women across the globe. She nearly paid for it with her life. Likewise, there is something we all can learn from her: we are the difference in the world. One person can make so much of a difference, and while a teacher can influence many, so can a single person's written word, like Yousafzai's. Though standardized education is incredibly valuable, a constant passion for learning is what makes a difference in someone's life and education.
"If girls and women have good education and opportunities to go on in life, they can help to break down the walls of envy and misunderstanding, to give new meaning to culture and history, to establish a sense of personal security for individual men and women, not just a collective security that crushes individuality," Nelson Mandela.
In this quote from Nelson Mandela, who was no stranger to trouble and hardships in life, we see that there is value not only in basic education of an individual, but also higher education—beyond the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. One of the best ways to pursue this noble endeavor is through higher education, as many other SAGE Scholars articles illustrate, alongside the countless academic and popular analyses on topics so far reaching as literature, biochemistry, economics, and architecture. Through a liberal arts education, we can see more aspects of not only our own lives, but also the lives of others. Mandela beautifully illustrates how an equitable education breaks down barriers: a simple, basic education may be able to take down a wall, but advanced learning can level a building.
"We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free," Kavita N. Ramdas.
Circling back to the idea of women's education, Kavita Ramdas' quote makes an excellent point: through skillfully learning an aspect of existence (strength, passion, and more), anyone can effectively perform in a manner which may be considered "the opposite." This quote takes the value of education (and educated women) beyond the classroom and even beyond the workforce, but instead to a higher plane of how we carry ourselves. Through self-education and awareness, we learn more about each other and ourselves, which in turn leads to a better understanding of our place in the world and how we want to live in it and change it. Ramdas' quote is a fitting encapsulation of all the previously mentioned quotes, and an effective ending note: learn what you can about yourself, through basic or higher education, and change not only the world, but also your own life.
Al Dickenson
Al Dickenson graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with bachelor’s degrees in history, communication, and English. He currently serves as an editor for an international equine practitioners’ magazine in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his hometown, where he lives with his wife.
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