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Speech on Importance of Education in English for Students

In one's life, education is an important concern. It is the key to a successful future and to the numerous opportunities we come across in our lives. For an individual, education has many advantages. It not only enlightens the mind but also enhances the thought process of a person. This makes it possible for students to qualify for jobs or pursue higher education. Moreover, education develops the personality, thoughts, and social skills of humans. It not only prepares an individual for various experiences and circumstances in their life but also makes them hold a unique significance in society.

It increases the knowledge of a person and provides them with confidence that is going to help them through their life. Education is important for people of all age groups. People of any age group can get education anytime and anywhere, education has no limitations if you want to have it you can get it anytime and from anywhere. When you talk about education it not only makes you a self-dependent person but it is going to cultivate such values in you that will help you to be a respected person in society.

Long Speech on Importance of Education in English

Today I am going to speak about the Importance of Education. Education plays a key role in the development of an individual. When we think of education, the first thing that strikes our minds is gaining knowledge. Education not only provides an individual with Education is a tool that provides knowledge, skill sets, techniques, and information to people, allowing them to understand their rights and duties to their family, society, and nation. It enhances vision and perspective to see the world. Not only this but it is also the most significant element in the nation's evolution. One will not explore innovative ideas without education. It implies that one can not develop the world as there is no creativity without ideas and there is no development of a nation without creativity.

There are certain ways in which you can teach the students and small children about the importance that education holds. Following are some important ways that you need to follow while teaching the students about the importance of education.

Since we all know that children tend to observe whatever is happening around them, you need to focus on being their role model, if you want them to learn something important like education.

Education can empower individuals in various ways. It helps in eradicating poverty, as it makes an individual capable of getting a job and fulfilling all the basic needs and requirements of the family.  A well-educated person is not easily fooled and is less likely to be involved in social evils. It makes them less susceptible to cheating and getting involved in crime. An increase in educated people ultimately boosts the trade and commerce of a country. It provides the citizens with a deeper understanding of law and order and they are more likely to become law-abiding citizens, as they understand the importance of law and order. Education helps in fighting several societal evils; it demolishes certain sexist customs of child marriage, the Dowry system, Sati Pratha, and also encourages women to become independent.

Education empowers women to stand up for themselves and voice their opinions. A good education adds to the communication skills of a person and helps them express themselves more effectively. We are regarded as a valuable source of knowledge for our society as educated individuals. Education helps us to teach necessary morals, good manners, and wise ethics to others. As well as being good at the physical, mental and social level,besides, it promotes the feeling of living a better life. A good education is constructive, which creates our future. This allows an individual to enhance his mental, physical and spiritual level. By offering knowledge of many areas, it makes us confident individuals. It's enough to say that education matters. Studies show that those educated are more likely to live longer, live healthier lives, and help strangers more.

While children are young, investing in different types of education ensures that they have a strong foundation. Good education is intended not only to get hard work and good results but to accomplish new things for the welfare of the whole human race. Not only does education allow us to study history, science, mathematics, geography, and other subjects, but it also teaches us how to deal with life's bad situations. Therefore, education is essential for a better future. Education not only means getting bookish knowledge but it involves you having knowledge that will help you to evolve as a better human and the one who can protect society from all the evils. 

Short Speech on Importance of Education in English

Today, I am here to share my views on the importance of education. Education among uneducated and poor people is still an issue in this modern, technologically advanced world that urgently needs to be addressed. People's education is a solution to all social, personal, and business issues. To live in society, proper and higher education makes us more civilized. 

Besides, it is very well known that education often generates self-confidence. To have self-confidence, which leads to many positive effects and success in life, is a great blessing for us. It enables us, for instance, to handle specific tasks, to tackle the challenges of life, and to maintain positive positions. Education also directs the individual's undeveloped capabilities, attitudes, interests, impulses, and needs into desirable channels. With the aid of education, the individual can change and modify his environment according to his needs. There are two aspects to man—biological and social. Education not only maintains and transmits the social aspect of mankind but also provides you with knowledge about the biological aspects.

In addition to preserving and transmitting social elements from generation to generation, education also contributes to the enrichment of culture. Our Constitution provides for free and compulsory education, the right of minorities to set up and administer educational institutions, education for weaker sectors, secular education, education for women, primary education in the mother tongue, preservation of national heritage, education in the Union Territories, etc. These constitutional provisions are nothing but our attempt to attain the objective 'Education for All'. Having the right education will help you to be a good human and also enable you to understand how to survive in our society and tackle all the difficulties in our way easily. Whenever we talk about education we know that we are talking about the growth of an individual as a whole. Education is the basic necessity that everyone should have. It helps you to grow mentally and will enable you to be a better human being.

10 Lines on Why Education is Important in Our Life Speech

The ultimate way to gain victory over personal and social problems is education.By altering our mind and personality and improving our confidence level, it transforms us completely from outside as well as inside. 

There are no constraints, people of any age group can get an education at any moment. This allows us to shape our moral conscience.

Anyone can receive education at any age, you just need to have the will to get educated and all the paths are open for you. Education is the most important weapon to improve a person's life. Not only does it provide you with information about the norms of the society but also increases the chances of employment.

Being well educated never only means earning certificates and good salaries from recognized and reputable organizational companies or organizations, but in life, it also means being a good and social person. 

Education is the fundamental right of all capable of bringing any desired change and upliftment in the human mind and society.

Teachers play a very important part in providing a good level of education. The basic education that we receive is from our school. All the basic manners about the ways how to behave or protect the environment and all the other basic education that help you to be a well behaved and sophisticated individual. 

Better education instills better communication among individuals. Furthermore, education helps an individual make better use of technology. This is a technical world, today everywhere you come across a number of technologies every second person is a user of technology whether it is a phone, laptop or any other technology. You only can use these technologies when you are having a better education and knowledge about these technologies.

Whatever we learn from our parents and teachers stays throughout life with us and we pass it on to our next generation.

Our goal of getting an education should be to help other people in society who are needed to get over their vulnerabilities and superstitions. We have often observed that lower sections of society are still so much into superstitions but if they are educated in the right way then only they can overcome such superstitions and can lead a better life.

By maintaining the balance between body, mind, and soul, keeps our mind calm and peaceful.

One can open his/her lock to success through the key of education.

FAQs on Importance of Education Speech

1. How does education help an individual to get employment?

Education provides an individual with information on vivid topics. It not only instils knowledge into an individual but also makes them more confident. It is an obvious fact that if you have information on all the topics that your employer is going to ask you then only you can answer them and it instills a lot of confidence in you. It is observed that an employer always looks for a confident individual who can carry forward the work in difficult situations also. So education is the basic need for employment.

2. Mention the ways in which education will help society?

Education is the most important when we want to bring some changes to our society. We know that the lower uneducated section of the society still follows a lot of superstitions, if only we can educate them with the proper information they can come over these norms and superstitions.

Education helps society by spreading knowledge,  the more knowledge the society will gain, the better will be their standard of living.

3. How can you instill education in the children?

To instil education in children, you need to follow a few important tips.

You need to become a role model for the children. They tend to learn from what they observe in society.

You need to give them diverse opportunities to learn different topics then only they will be able to gain more knowledge.

They should focus more on learning rather than studying. Only studying will not be beneficial anyhow except gaining you some marks.

4. What is the importance of education in an individual's life?

Education provides a person with the knowledge and along with it, it boosts your confidence. It helps you to improve in your career and not only that it also improves your personal life. There are no limitations when we talk about education. You can get an education anywhere at any time, you just need to be willing to acquire the education. Numerous sources will be provided to you that will increase your knowledge. There is a popular saying that says that a person never stops getting educated and it is a fact.

5. How can education change the world?

Education improves the economic growth of the country. It not only increases economic growth but also increases innovation, productivity, as well as human capital. Education besides this fosters positive changes in the society by removing superstitions and many useless norms that were followed for a long time back without the knowledge behind these norms. Education also encourages political participation, environmental sustainability, along with social equality among the individuals of the society.

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• Speech Writing /

2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education in English for Students

• Updated on  
• Jun 26, 2024

Speech on Importance of Education: Knowledge is power, and education is the ocean of knowledge. Education is a tool that can bring social change to society. A person who does not read books has no advantage over those who cannot. In every culture, education is given great importance because it has the power to enhance personal, economic, and global developments. 

Here is what Mahatma Gandhi said about education, ’ By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man; body, mind, and spirit. True education must correspond to the surrounding circumstances or it is not a healthy growth.’ Can you believe this century-old quote can still be of great significance? This is what we will do for you today. We will provide you with a speech on the importance of education, where we will provide samples and other details on how it can change our lives. 

Quick Read: Speech on Earth Day

Table of Contents

• 1 Sample 1: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education
• 2 Sample 2: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education
• 3 10 Quotes on Importance of Education

‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.’ – Albert Einstein

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Sample 1: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education

‘Good morning my friends and teacher (s). Today, I stand before you to present my ‘Speech on the importance of education’. We all want to progress and grow in our lives. Education is the only weapon that can bring peaceful and sustainable development. Every personal, professional, social, and environmental issue can be solved with an educated mind. 

Every society requires educated people for overall development. A society that has more education and civilized people will flourish and sustain better than those who lack education. That is why our government and educational institutions are promoting education.

In earlier times, education was given little importance, as most people were either engaged in agricultural or different manual labour jobs. With the advancement of science and technology, different sectors, like secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and quinary emerged. 

Education is the key that unlocks doors of opportunity, enabling individuals to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. At a personal level, education allows us to understand the world around us. It empowers us to dream big, set goals, and work towards achieving them. 

Through education, we can understand our rights and duties towards our families, society and nation. We can explore innovative ideas, as were are constantly involved in learning and growing. 

Important people like big industrialists, politicians, movie actors, and even sportspersons are all educated, as they know the importance of education in life. Their contribution is essential for innovation, productivity, and economic competitiveness. 

Investing in education is like investing in a future workforce. It ensures that our society remains dynamic and resilient in the face of rapid technological and global changes.

When we talk about social justice and equality, education plays a major role. Education provides equal opportunities for people from different backgrounds. Making education accessible to everyone will help in building a fair and just society, one where talent and potential are recognized.’

Sample 2: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education

Good morning to the respected teachers and students,

Education is not simply acquiring knowledge; it is a process that develops our thoughts and broadens our perspectives. It prepares people to pursue their goals, attain them, and live fulfilled lives. Education provides opportunities and helps us to realise our greatest potential. It promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, all of which are useful in both personal and professional situations.

Education is also a successful tool for economic development. It provides the individual with the skills necessary for the job market, enhancing their employability. Education promotes innovation, increases productivity, and improves global competitiveness. It also encourages development by promoting understanding and tolerance among people of different backgrounds. An educated society places a higher importance on justice, equality, and human rights. Education allows us to address social concerns such as poverty, inequality, and corruption.

Education has a wide-ranging impact on health and well-being. People who are educated are more likely to make informed decisions about their health. They are better able to understand healthcare facilities and carry out preventive measures. Despite its importance, providing high-quality education remains a global challenge. Poverty, gender injustice, and a lack of infrastructure prevent millions from getting the education they deserve. As citizens of this country, it is our responsibility to increase awareness so that everyone has access to a quality education. 

It will require collaborative efforts from the community and the government. Education is a major driver of personal, economic, and social development. It is the key that unlocks a door full of potential and opportunity. So, let us commit to and work towards a better educated and informed society by making education available to everyone.

Also Read: 2 Minutes Adult Education Speech for School Students

10 Quotes on Importance of Education

Here are 10 quotes on the importance of education. Feel free to add these quotes to your speech or any writing topics.

• ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ – Mahatma Gandhi
• ‘The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.’ – Herbert Spencer
• ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ – Nelson Mandela
• ‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.
• ‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.’ – Malcolm X
• ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ – Benjamin Franklin
• ‘The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.’ – B.B. King
• ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ – W.B. Yeats
• ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.’ – John Dewey
• ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ – Dr. Seuss

Also Read: Speech on Education in English for School Students

Ans: Education is an important tool for social change. Every society requires educated people, who can help in navigating the developmental changes and lead the country to new heights. Education means knowledge and power. Every society requires educated people for overall development. A society that has more education and civilized people will flourish and sustain better than those who lack education. That is why our government and educational institutions are promoting education.

Ans: Education plays an important role in a person’s overall development and life. It can make you a responsible citizen, can offer you a better life, and make you aware of your duty towards society and country. From a personal level to social development, education has the power to change the world and counter every problem hindering developmental activities.

Ans: Literacy and education can be used interchangeably, but there is a big difference in their meaning. A person’s ability to read and write is known as literacy. Education refers to the formal and informal learning experience that a person acquires through personal experience. 

Related Reads:

This was all about the speech on the importance of education. We hope we were able to provide you with all the necessary information you were looking for. For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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The Purpose of Education

Morehouse College, 1948

As I engage in the so-called “bull sessions” around and about the school, I too often find that most college men have a misconception of the purpose of education. Most of the “brethren” think that education should equip them with the proper instruments of exploitation so that they can forever trample over the masses. Still others think that education should furnish them with noble ends rather than means to an end.

It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the ligitimate goals of his life.

Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one’s self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.

The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.

The late Eugene Talmadge, in my opinion, possessed one of the better minds of Georgia, or even America. Moreover, he wore the Phi Beta Kappa key. By all measuring rods, Mr. Talmadge could think critically and intensively; yet he contends that I am an inferior being. Are those the types of men we call educated?

We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living.

If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. Be careful, “brethren!” Be careful, teachers!

Speech on Importance of Education of Students and Children

Speech on importance of education.

Education is a procedure of learning where knowledge, skills, and habits move from one generation to the other. Moreover, education is essential for the overall development of a human being. For instance, their personal, social as well as the economic development of the country. If we talk about the importance of education in our daily life, we have to admit that it improves our personal lives and helps in running the societies smoothly by protecting everyone including ourselves from the harmful and unexpected events.

Modes of Education

The major types of education system are as follows:

Formal Education: Formal education is basically a practice of learning where a human learns basic, academic or some trade skills for his living. Formal education or formal learning initiates at the basic level. Further, it continues till the college or university level where people study bachelor and master courses. It comes under a certain combination of rules and regulations and it may provide a formal degree after the completion of the course. It is provided by the teachers that are highly qualified and educated and are under strict discipline as well.

Informal Education: Informal education is the type of education where people are not studying in a specific school or a college. They do not use any specific learning method or technique. When a father teaches his son how to ride a bicycle or a mother teaches her daughter how to cook food, then these learnings fall under the category of Informal Education. A person can get informal education by reading some books from any library or any educational website on the internet. However, unlike the formal education, informal education has no particular syllabus or any specific time period for learning.

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Importance of Education in Our Life

Education is very important for personal development as well as for the socio-economic development of our country. Education is important for living life happily. Moreover, it empowers and motivates our mind to conceive the good thoughts and ideas and grow our knowledge day by day. Moreover, education helps us in acquiring new skills and techniques. Thus, it becomes effortless for us to do our daily life activities in the best possible ways with maximum output and excellence. Education is necessary to raise a person’s standard of living. As it gives us all the necessary goods and awareness about how we can increase our earnings with the use of our brains and knowledge.

Importance of Education in the Life of a Student

Education is one of the most important and mandatory elements in the life of a student. It helps the students to do analysis while making important decisions in life. Education is essential for a student because after being educated enough, a student will be able to select a good career option for them. So that they can succeed in life with the help of education. A good career provides the students financial freedom and support along with mental satisfaction. The Education of the students helps them in improving their communication skills. For instance, their speech, body language, and many other elements present in the communication system. Education helps the students in using the technology in a better way in this era of rapid technological development and transformation.

As we all know that education is the key element of everyone’s life today. Education has the value that helps in making people valuable and full of knowledge. Education is necessary for the growth of life for everyone. It has the same value for everyone equally. Everyone is having the right to learn. Without education, life can become so difficult and hard to survive.

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"The Purpose of Education"

Author:  King, Martin Luther, Jr.

Date:  September 1, 1946 to January 31, 1947 ?

Location:  Atlanta, Ga. ?

Genre:  Published Article

Topic:  Martin Luther King, Jr. - Political and Social Views

This essay, written sometime during King’s junior year at Morehouse, may be an early draft of the article of the same name published in the  Maroon Tiger . He suggests that education should not only “teach man to think intensively” but also provide “worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.”

Last week we attempted to discuss the purpose of religion. This week our attention moves toward education. I will attempt to answer the question, what is the purpose of education?

To my mind, education has a two-fold function in society. On the one hand it should discipline the mind for sustained and persistent speculation. On the other hand it should integrate human life around central, focusing ideals. It is a tragedy that the latter is often neglected in our educational system.

Education should equip us with the power to think effectively and objectively. To think is one of the hardest things in the world, and to think objectively is still harder. Yet this is the job of education. Education should cause us to rise beyond the horizon of legions of half truth, prejudices and propaganda. Education should enable us to “weigh and consider,” to discern the true from the false, the relevant from the irrelevant, and the real from the unreal. 1  The first function of education, therefore, is to teach man to think intensively. But this is not the whole of education. If education stops here it can be the most dangerous force in society. Some of the greatest criminals in society have been men {who) possessed the power of concentration and reason, but they had no morals. Perhaps the most dangerous periods in civilization have been those periods when there was no moral foundation in society.

Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere. It is not enough to have the power of concentration, but we must have worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. It is not enough to know truth, but we must love truth and sacrifice for it.

1.  “Read not to contradict and confute; nor yet to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider” (Francis Bacon, “Of Studies,” in  The Works of Francis Bacon , ed. James Spedding, R. L. Ellis, and D. D. Heath [New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1877], p. 252). King used the phrase “weigh and consider” in three papers written at Crozer Theological Seminary (“Light on the Old Testament from the Ancient Near East,” 14 September–24 November 1948, p. 180 in this volume; “The Sources of Fundamentalism and Liberalism Considered Historically and Psychologically,” 13 September–23 November 1949, p. 237; and Book review of  A Functional Approach to Religious Education  by Ernest J. Chave, 12 September–22 November 1950, p. 355).

Source:  MLKP-MBU, Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers, 1954-1968, Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston University, Boston, Mass.

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The turning point: Why we must transform education now

Global warming. Accelerated digital revolution. Growing inequalities. Democratic backsliding. Loss of biodiversity. Devastating pandemics. And the list goes on. These are just some of the most pressing challenges that we are facing today in our interconnected world.

The diagnosis is clear: Our current global education system is failing to address these alarming challenges and provide quality learning for everyone throughout life. We know that education today is not fulfilling its promise to help us shape peaceful, just, and sustainable societies. These findings were detailed in UNESCO’s Futures of Education Report in November 2021 which called for a new social contract for education.

That is why it has never been more crucial to reimagine the way we learn, what we learn and how we learn. The turning point is now. It’s time to transform education. How do we make that happen?

Here’s what you need to know. 

Why do we need to transform education?

The current state of the world calls for a major transformation in education to repair past injustices and enhance our capacity to act together for a more sustainable and just future. We must ensure the right to lifelong learning by providing all learners - of all ages in all contexts - the knowledge and skills they need to realize their full potential and live with dignity. Education can no longer be limited to a single period of one’s lifetime. Everyone, starting with the most marginalized and disadvantaged in our societies, must be entitled to learning opportunities throughout life both for employment and personal agency. A new social contract for education must unite us around collective endeavours and provide the knowledge and innovation needed to shape a better world anchored in social, economic, and environmental justice.  

What are the key areas that need to be transformed?

• Inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools

Education is in crisis. High rates of poverty, exclusion and gender inequality continue to hold millions back from learning. Moreover, COVID-19 further exposed the inequities in education access and quality, and violence, armed conflict, disasters and reversal of women’s rights have increased insecurity. Inclusive, transformative education must ensure that all learners have unhindered access to and participation in education, that they are safe and healthy, free from violence and discrimination, and are supported with comprehensive care services within school settings. Transforming education requires a significant increase in investment in quality education, a strong foundation in comprehensive early childhood development and education, and must be underpinned by strong political commitment, sound planning, and a robust evidence base.

• Learning and skills for life, work and sustainable development

There is a crisis in foundational learning, of literacy and numeracy skills among young learners. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, learning poverty has increased by a third in low- and middle-income countries, with an estimated 70% of 10-year-olds unable to understand a simple written text. Children with disabilities are 42% less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills compared to their peers. More than 771 million people still lack basic literacy skills, two-thirds of whom are women. Transforming education means empowering learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be resilient, adaptable and prepared for the uncertain future while contributing to human and planetary well-being and sustainable development. To do so, there must be emphasis on foundational learning for basic literacy and numeracy; education for sustainable development, which encompasses environmental and climate change education; and skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

• Teachers, teaching and the teaching profession

Teachers are essential for achieving learning outcomes, and for achieving SDG 4 and the transformation of education. But teachers and education personnel are confronted by four major challenges: Teacher shortages; lack of professional development opportunities; low status and working conditions; and lack of capacity to develop teacher leadership, autonomy and innovation. Accelerating progress toward SDG 4 and transforming education require that there is an adequate number of teachers to meet learners’ needs, and all education personnel are trained, motivated, and supported. This can only be possible when education is adequately funded, and policies recognize and support the teaching profession, to improve their status and working conditions.

• Digital learning and transformation

The COVID-19 crisis drove unprecedented innovations in remote learning through harnessing digital technologies. At the same time, the digital divide excluded many from learning, with nearly one-third of school-age children (463 million) without access to distance learning. These inequities in access meant some groups, such as young women and girls, were left out of learning opportunities. Digital transformation requires harnessing technology as part of larger systemic efforts to transform education, making it more inclusive, equitable, effective, relevant, and sustainable. Investments and action in digital learning should be guided by the three core principles: Center the most marginalized; Free, high-quality digital education content; and Pedagogical innovation and change.

• Financing of education

While global education spending has grown overall, it has been thwarted by high population growth, the surmounting costs of managing education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the diversion of aid to other emergencies, leaving a massive global education financial gap amounting to US$ 148 billion annually. In this context, the first step toward transformation is to urge funders to redirect resources back to education to close the funding gap. Following that, countries must have significantly increased and sustainable financing for achieving SDG 4 and that these resources must be equitably and effectively allocated and monitored. Addressing the gaps in education financing requires policy actions in three key areas: Mobilizing more resources, especially domestic; increasing efficiency and equity of allocations and expenditures; and improving education financing data. Finally, determining which areas needs to be financed, and how, will be informed by recommendations from each of the other four action tracks .

What is the Transforming Education Summit?

UNESCO is hosting the Transforming Education Pre-Summit on 28-30 June 2022, a meeting of  over 140 Ministers of Education, as well as  policy and business leaders and youth activists, who are coming together to build a roadmap to transform education globally. This meeting is a precursor to the Transforming Education Summit to be held on 19 September 2022 at the UN General Assembly in New York. This high-level summit is convened by the UN Secretary General to radically change our approach to education systems. Focusing on 5 key areas of transformation, the meeting seeks to mobilize political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education: to take stock of efforts to recover pandemic-related learning losses; to reimagine education systems for the world of today and tomorrow; and to revitalize national and global efforts to achieve SDG-4.

• More on the Transforming Education Summit
• More on the Pre-Summit

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Speeches > Ted E. Brewerton > Character—The Aim of Education

Character—The Aim of Education

Ted e. brewerton.

of the Seventy

June 6, 1982

You are an uplifting, inspiring sight. I consider it a privilege and a blessing to be associated with you. We looked around at many of you this evening as we came in, and we literally felt uplifted because of you. I should like to thank those responsible for allowing me to speak for just a few minutes this evening concerning a subject I consider important. It’s the subject of education—basically, education of character more than curriculum.

Education of Character

President Hugh B. Brown said, “Your aim is not to get ahead of others, but to surpass yourself.”

And President McKay stated,

Character is the aim of true education. . . .

True education seeks to make men and women not only good mathematicians, proficient linguists, profound scientists, or brilliant literary lights, but also honest men with virtue, temperance, and brotherly love. It seeks to make men and women who prize truth, justice, wisdom, benevolence, and self-control as the choicest acquisitions of a successful life. [“Why Education?”  Improvement Era , September 1967, p. 3]

President Brown also said,

We urge all members, young and old, to keep in mind always that the true purpose of life, both here and hereafter, is to seek the joy of eternal progression. As the glory of God is intelligence, man can only share that glory through continuing education of the whole man.  [ CR , April 1968, p. 105]

Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Twelve has stated in this regard,

The process of living on earth, of seeking to work out one’s salvation with fear and trembling before God, is in itself a course of education; it is a system of training, study, and discipline whereby the mental and moral powers are schooled and prepared for graduation into the eternal realms . [ MD , p. 213]

Plutarch, who lived in the first century A.D., wrote a great book in which he told of the characteristics of noted Greeks and Romans. He wrote about a man named Phocion, who lived between the years 402 and 318 B.C. What he wrote about Phocion, the Athenian statesman who was elected forty-five times as one of the chief officers of the state, provides a model for today. Said Plutarch,

Appreciation of him was due  not  so much to his eloquence as to the influence of his character, since not only a word, but even a nod from a person who is esteemed, is of more force than a thousand arguments or studied sentences from others . [ Plutarch , vol. 14, Great Books,  Encyclopedia Britannica , p. 604; emphasis added]

To this the  Harmsworth Encyclopedia  adds,

Phocion was neither a great statesman nor a brilliant general; but he was a man of incorruptible honestly and downright common sense.

President Kimball spoke and distinguished Brigham Young University from other institutions of learning in the world. I quote from his discourse given on 12 September 1967. He stated,

The BYU is the greatest institution of learning. Why? The uniqueness of Brigham Young University lies in its special role—education for eternity—which it must carry in addition to the usual tasks of a university. This means concern—curricular and behaviorial—for not only the “whole man” but for the “eternal man.”

He further stated,

We should be knowledgeable. When we talk of Godhead and creatorship and eternal increase, we have already soared far out beyond the comprehension of most men. To attain these great accomplishments, one would need to know all about astronomy, biology, physiology, psychology, and all of the arts and sciences. The obtaining of all this knowledge will come largely after our earth life. A doctrine-teaching, character-building university, the Brigham Young University is dedicated to the building of character and faith, for character is higher than intellect. . . . We are men of God first, men of letters second, men of science third, and noted men fourth, men of rectitude rather than academic competence. . . . Our academic training must be as impeccable as our lives.  [“Education for Eternity,”  BYU Speeches of the Year,  1967–68, pp. 2–3]

Understanding

We have spoken of several different qualities we should embrace in developing our character. One of the major qualities we could have is understanding. I’ve chosen a small selection from the Teacher Development Program to give one tiny example of understanding:

A man was putting up a sign “Puppies for Sale,” and before he had driven the last nail, there was a small boy standing by his side. That kind of sign seems to attract small boys. The youngster wanted to know how much the puppies were going to cost. The man told him that they were very good dogs, and he did not expect to let any of them go for less than $35 or $40. There was a look of disappointment and then a question:

“I’ve got $2.37. Could I look at them?”

The man whistled and called, “Lady.” And out of the kennel and down the runway came Lady followed by four or five little balls of fur with one lagging considerably behind.

The boy spotted the laggard and, pointing, asked, “What’s wrong with him?” The reply was that the veterinarian had said that there was no hip socket in the right hip, and that dog would always be lame.

The boy’s immediate rejoinder was, “That’s the one I want to buy. I’ll give you $2.37 down, and fifty cents a month until I get him paid for.”

The man smiled and shook his head. “That’s not the dog you want. That dog will never be able to run and jump and play with you.”

The boy very matter-of-factly pulled up his trouser leg and revealed a brace running up both sides of his badly twisted right leg and over the foot, with a leather cap over the knee. “I don’t run so well myself,” he said, “and he’ll need someone that understands him.”

Supremacy of Character

An industrialist, Joseph Rosenblatt, spoke at the April 1978 Commencement exercises here at the Y, and he said that the most important quality the graduates could carry in their life’s baggage was character.

“Often we think that knowledge is power,” said Dr. Rosenblatt, the son of a Russian emigrant who settled in the Salt Lake Valley. “But I wonder if it is not more correct in this vigorous, hard, complex age to say that it is character that is power, for mind without heart, intelligence without conduct, cleverness without goodness—all of these have worrisome, dangerous flaws.”

President Dallin Oaks said,

Along with John Ruskin we affirm that education does not mean teaching people what they do not know, it means teaching to behave as they do not behave. . . . Character is more important than learning.

There is a story told, and I do not have the author of it, of a professor of trigonometry. In giving an examination one day, the trigonometry teacher said,

Today I am going to give you two examinations: one in trigonometry and one in honesty. I hope you will pass them both. But if you must fail one, let it be trigonometry. For there are many good men in the world today who cannot pass an examination in trigonometry, but there are no good men in the world today who cannot pass an examination in honesty.

Honesty is one of the characteristics of our character that we must perfect.

Do you not believe that you can be nigh perfect in many things as far as your character is concerned? Do you not believe you can be a perfect tithepayer? Do you not believe you can be perfectly honest even in small things? Do you not believe you can perfect your character in many of those salient, important characteristics we carry with us after this life?

Born of the Spirit

President Romney on 14 February 1962, to the BYU student body said the following:

Scientists come to their view that there is a God by a process of reasoning from the things they observe through their five sensory faculties. . . . Knowledge of the true and living God is revealed only by the Spirit. . . .

Brigham Young University keeps abreast of other fine universities in the arts, sciences, and other fields which concern themselves with knowledge “born of the flesh.” This university is distinguished from all other universities, however, by the fact that its main objective and, indeed, the justification for its existence is to teach and lead students to learn the things “born of the Spirit.” . . .

. . . The knowledge “born of the Spirit” is knowledge of the highest order and the greatest value. . . .

We must go further. We must each obtain for ourselves a personal witness that the testimonies of the prophets are true. . . . It can be received through the Spirit by the . . . pattern laid down by Moroni  [with which we’re all well acquainted and which may be found in Moroni 10:4]. [“That Which Is Born of the Flesh Is Flesh: and That Which Is Born of the Spirit is Spirit.” (John 3:6),  BYU Speeches of the Year,  1961–62, pp. 3, 6, 7]

Being born of the Spirit is of far greater value than being born of the world.

The Upward Reach

Paul J. Mayer, the president of Success Motivation Institute, gives us this little story which illustrates a point. He titled it “Circus Elephants and Limitations.”

An elephant with its trunk can easily pick up a one-ton load, but have you ever visited a circus and watched those huge creatures standing quietly while tied to a small wooden stake? While still young and weak, an elephant is tied by a heavy chain to an immovable iron stake. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot break the chain or move the stake. Then, no matter how large and strong the elephant becomes, he continues to believe he cannot move as long as he can see the stake in the ground beside him. Many intelligent adult humans are like circus elephants. They are restrained in thoughts, actions, and results. They never move out any further than the extent of their own self-imposed limitations.

We are goal-oriented people and must not limit ourselves. You all will recall the famous words of President Kimball wherein he stated,

Do not make small goals because they do not have the magic to stir men’s souls.

And President Benson said,

The Lord himself has a goal; To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We have the same goal: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We must have the same goal.

He further said,

But when we set goals, we are in command. Clearly understood goals bring our lives into focus just as a magnifying glass focuses a beam of light onto or into a burning point. Without goals our efforts may be scattered and unproductive.

President Kimball stated in this regard,

Unless we set goals, we move no place. I want to stir your ambition to do better. Not for statistics’ sake, but for the good it will do people.

He also says,

We must have goals to make progress, and it’s encouraged by keeping records. Progress is easier when it is timed, checked, and measured. Goals should always be made to a point that will make us reach and strain. The key goals we could have are goals to become perfect in certain elements in the perfection of our character, the things we carry with us after this life.

Not all Education in Schools

With regard to education, I’d like to give you a little quiz. I’m going to give you the names of twelve very prominent lawyers in the world, and then I’d like you to tell me which one, and only one, was a law school dropout. In other words, here are the names of twelve of the nation’s most prominent lawyers. Only one of them was a law school dropout. Can you guess his name?

Patrick Henry, a member of the Continental Congress; John Jay, First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; John Marshall, a Supreme Court Chief Justice; William Wirt, a United States attorney general; Roger Taney, very famous in the practice of law in 1799; Daniel Webster, who had a phenomenal legal reputation; Salmon Chase, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president, an occupation greatly enhanced by his former experience as a lawyer; Stephen Douglas, admitted to the bar in 1834; Clarence Darrow, a lawyer of world renown; Robert Storey, president of the American Bar Association; Strom Thurmond, a well-known lawyer in South Carolina.

Now those are the twelve. I’ll repeat their names again. Only one of them abandoned law school after one year, never to return. Which one was it? Patrick Henry, John Jay, John Marshall, William Wirt, Roger Taney, Daniel Webster, Salmon Chase, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Clarence Darrow, Robert Storey, Strom Thurmond?

Now, if you remember your history, you will know that the only one who was a law school dropout was Clarence Darrow, but the interesting part of the story is the other eleven most distinguished American lawyers could not have dropped out of law school because they never went to law school. They were self-educated. They understood the need to have continuous education. (Adapted from P.H. Aurandt , Paul Harvey—The Rest of the Story , p. 132). Do you know of any university in the world which offers more continuing education than BYU offers? It’s the Lord’s desire that we educate ourselves, keeping in mind that the greatest education of all is not the education of the mind, but the education of the character that we carry with us, an education of the spirit, an education into learning how to be self-sustaining, how to be in full self-control and be master of self.

Knowledge “Born of the Spirit”

There are two highly important qualities of character—I should say, two important truths—which we must possess and share. I now quote from T he Charted Course of the Church in Education , by President J. Reuben Clark. He said,

In all this there are for the Church and for each and all of its members, two prime things which may not be overlooked, forgotten, shaded, or discarded:

First: That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, . . . the Atoner. . . . He was crucified . . .  [and]  reunited with His body.  [That is first and foremost.]

[Secondly,]  the Father and the Son actually and in truth and very deed appeared to the Prophet Joseph.  [He heard their voices; he saw the two. The holy priesthood was restored.]  The Book of Mormon is just what it professes to be. . . . The Prophet’s successors, likewise  [are]  called of God. . . . Without these two great beliefs the Church would cease to be the Church.

Any individual who does not accept the fulness of these doctrines as to Jesus of Nazareth or as to the restoration of the Gospel and Holy Priesthood, is not a Latter-day Saint.  [8 August 1938, pp. 2–3]

I read now from the book of Acts, chapter 12, parts of verses 4–15. You may recall the circumstances. Herod the king had just martyred James. It seemed to please the people, and so Herod put Peter in prison. We read from verse 4,

And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him  [that means he was surrounded by sixteen soldiers; King Herod did not want him to escape]. . . .

. . .  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains.

. . . The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he  [touched]  Peter on the side, and raised him up saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. . . .

And he went out, and followed. . . .

When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord. . . .

. . . He came to the house of Mary . . . where many  [of the brethren]  were gathered together praying.

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

They knew he was in prison; they knew he was surrounded by soldiers and chains so they said to her,

. . . Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.  [Acts 12:4, 6–7, 9–10, 12–16]

What did Rhoda do that was so important? Rhoda constantly affirmed that it was indeed the prophet of God knocking at the gate. Likewise we constantly affirm that we are in the presence of sixteen prophets, seers, and revelators, one of whom by divine right can have all of the keys and powers that God would have us have.

One year ago last month on the 31 of May I was at one of my stake conferences in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It so happened that on that very day President Kimball was arriving in order to set apart some sealers in the temple. I knew President Kimball wasn’t well. He had just received his pacemaker about two or three weeks previous to this date. His physician and security were with him. After he finished his work in the temple, I hurried back from my stake conference and met him at the temple at noon. As I met him, I said, “President, are you feeling well enough to greet 27 new missionaries here at the MTC?”

He said, “Yes, of course,” in his kind way.

We had 27  Bolivianos  and  Peruanos . They never thought in all their life they would ever see the prophet of God. They did not know he was there. When we sent word to them that he would like to greet them, they were speechless. They came into the temple one by one. I stood by him to translate the few words they could utter. These are some of the few things they said: “I know you are a prophet of God,” “This is the happiest day of my life,” or they said, “I love thee.” And then with his strong arms he embraced and kissed each one. Do you think those 27 left the same way they came in? They were different people. They felt of his influence. They knew he was the Prophet of God. They went out with a certain and strong testimony that he is.

I bear that same witness. I know, as I see you this evening, that he is a prophet of God, and that he and his counselors in the First Presidency are those men inspired with the most accurate decisions this world can have. I bear witness that all sixteen of those men are prophets, seers, and revelators, and that the Lord himself directs this his kingdom through those Brethren in order to give salvation and saving principles to all mankind. I testify this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

© Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ted E. Brewerton was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address was given at Brigham Young University on 6 June 1982.

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• Our Mission

What Is Education For?

Read an excerpt from a new book by Sir Ken Robinson and Kate Robinson, which calls for redesigning education for the future.

What is education for? As it happens, people differ sharply on this question. It is what is known as an “essentially contested concept.” Like “democracy” and “justice,” “education” means different things to different people. Various factors can contribute to a person’s understanding of the purpose of education, including their background and circumstances. It is also inflected by how they view related issues such as ethnicity, gender, and social class. Still, not having an agreed-upon definition of education doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it or do anything about it.

We just need to be clear on terms. There are a few terms that are often confused or used interchangeably—“learning,” “education,” “training,” and “school”—but there are important differences between them. Learning is the process of acquiring new skills and understanding. Education is an organized system of learning. Training is a type of education that is focused on learning specific skills. A school is a community of learners: a group that comes together to learn with and from each other. It is vital that we differentiate these terms: children love to learn, they do it naturally; many have a hard time with education, and some have big problems with school.

There are many assumptions of compulsory education. One is that young people need to know, understand, and be able to do certain things that they most likely would not if they were left to their own devices. What these things are and how best to ensure students learn them are complicated and often controversial issues. Another assumption is that compulsory education is a preparation for what will come afterward, like getting a good job or going on to higher education.

So, what does it mean to be educated now? Well, I believe that education should expand our consciousness, capabilities, sensitivities, and cultural understanding. It should enlarge our worldview. As we all live in two worlds—the world within you that exists only because you do, and the world around you—the core purpose of education is to enable students to understand both worlds. In today’s climate, there is also a new and urgent challenge: to provide forms of education that engage young people with the global-economic issues of environmental well-being.

This core purpose of education can be broken down into four basic purposes.

Education should enable young people to engage with the world within them as well as the world around them. In Western cultures, there is a firm distinction between the two worlds, between thinking and feeling, objectivity and subjectivity. This distinction is misguided. There is a deep correlation between our experience of the world around us and how we feel. As we explored in the previous chapters, all individuals have unique strengths and weaknesses, outlooks and personalities. Students do not come in standard physical shapes, nor do their abilities and personalities. They all have their own aptitudes and dispositions and different ways of understanding things. Education is therefore deeply personal. It is about cultivating the minds and hearts of living people. Engaging them as individuals is at the heart of raising achievement.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasizes that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and that “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Many of the deepest problems in current systems of education result from losing sight of this basic principle.

Schools should enable students to understand their own cultures and to respect the diversity of others. There are various definitions of culture, but in this context the most appropriate is “the values and forms of behavior that characterize different social groups.” To put it more bluntly, it is “the way we do things around here.” Education is one of the ways that communities pass on their values from one generation to the next. For some, education is a way of preserving a culture against outside influences. For others, it is a way of promoting cultural tolerance. As the world becomes more crowded and connected, it is becoming more complex culturally. Living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative.

There should be three cultural priorities for schools: to help students understand their own cultures, to understand other cultures, and to promote a sense of cultural tolerance and coexistence. The lives of all communities can be hugely enriched by celebrating their own cultures and the practices and traditions of other cultures.

Education should enable students to become economically responsible and independent. This is one of the reasons governments take such a keen interest in education: they know that an educated workforce is essential to creating economic prosperity. Leaders of the Industrial Revolution knew that education was critical to creating the types of workforce they required, too. But the world of work has changed so profoundly since then, and continues to do so at an ever-quickening pace. We know that many of the jobs of previous decades are disappearing and being rapidly replaced by contemporary counterparts. It is almost impossible to predict the direction of advancing technologies, and where they will take us.

How can schools prepare students to navigate this ever-changing economic landscape? They must connect students with their unique talents and interests, dissolve the division between academic and vocational programs, and foster practical partnerships between schools and the world of work, so that young people can experience working environments as part of their education, not simply when it is time for them to enter the labor market.

Education should enable young people to become active and compassionate citizens. We live in densely woven social systems. The benefits we derive from them depend on our working together to sustain them. The empowerment of individuals has to be balanced by practicing the values and responsibilities of collective life, and of democracy in particular. Our freedoms in democratic societies are not automatic. They come from centuries of struggle against tyranny and autocracy and those who foment sectarianism, hatred, and fear. Those struggles are far from over. As John Dewey observed, “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.”

For a democratic society to function, it depends upon the majority of its people to be active within the democratic process. In many democracies, this is increasingly not the case. Schools should engage students in becoming active, and proactive, democratic participants. An academic civics course will scratch the surface, but to nurture a deeply rooted respect for democracy, it is essential to give young people real-life democratic experiences long before they come of age to vote.

Eight Core Competencies

The conventional curriculum is based on a collection of separate subjects. These are prioritized according to beliefs around the limited understanding of intelligence we discussed in the previous chapter, as well as what is deemed to be important later in life. The idea of “subjects” suggests that each subject, whether mathematics, science, art, or language, stands completely separate from all the other subjects. This is problematic. Mathematics, for example, is not defined only by propositional knowledge; it is a combination of types of knowledge, including concepts, processes, and methods as well as propositional knowledge. This is also true of science, art, and languages, and of all other subjects. It is therefore much more useful to focus on the concept of disciplines rather than subjects.

Disciplines are fluid; they constantly merge and collaborate. In focusing on disciplines rather than subjects we can also explore the concept of interdisciplinary learning. This is a much more holistic approach that mirrors real life more closely—it is rare that activities outside of school are as clearly segregated as conventional curriculums suggest. A journalist writing an article, for example, must be able to call upon skills of conversation, deductive reasoning, literacy, and social sciences. A surgeon must understand the academic concept of the patient’s condition, as well as the practical application of the appropriate procedure. At least, we would certainly hope this is the case should we find ourselves being wheeled into surgery.

The concept of disciplines brings us to a better starting point when planning the curriculum, which is to ask what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education. The four purposes above suggest eight core competencies that, if properly integrated into education, will equip students who leave school to engage in the economic, cultural, social, and personal challenges they will inevitably face in their lives. These competencies are curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship. Rather than be triggered by age, they should be interwoven from the beginning of a student’s educational journey and nurtured throughout.

From Imagine If: Creating a Future for Us All by Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D and Kate Robinson, published by Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2022 by the Estate of Sir Kenneth Robinson and Kate Robinson.

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Student Life

Aims of education.

Every year since 1961, a University of Chicago faculty member has been invited to address students in the College regarding their view on the aims of a liberal education. In 1962 the Aims of Education Address was added to Orientation Week and officially became a tradition for incoming students. The address encourages students to reflect on the purpose and definition of education as they embark upon their collegiate years.

In recent years, the address has been followed by colloquia in the residential College Houses led by faculty members, enabling students to reflect in community upon the speaker’s views, share opinions, and develop their own theories about the aims of education and their role in society. The Aims of Education Address provides a collective moment for students entering the College during which they can think about the broader aspects of education, before becoming fully immersed in its details as classes begin.

• History of the Aims of Education

Past Speakers

• 2023 - Christopher Wild
• 2022 - Agnes Callard
• 2021 - Kimberly Kay Hoang
• 2020 - Melissa Gilliam
• 2019 - Deborah Gorman-Smith
• 2018 - Gabriel Richardson Lear
• 2017 - Robert Rosner
• 2016 - Geoffrey R. Stone
• 2015 - John Levi Martin
• 2014 - Hugo F. Sonnenschein
• 2013 - Thomas F. Rosenbaum
• 2012 - Martha Roth
• 2011 - Bernard Harcourt
• 2010 - Christine Stansell
• 2009 - Jonathan Lear
• 2008 - Candace Vogler
• 2007 - Kenneth W. Warren
• 2006 - Edward W. Kolb
• 2005 - Andreas Glaeser
• 2004 - Don Michael Randel
• 2003 - Tanya Luhrmann
• 2002 - Andrew Abbott
• 2001 - Danielle S. Allen
• 2000 - Robert Pippin
• 1999 - Dennis J. Hutchinson
• 1998 - Norma Field
• 1997 - John J. Mearsheimer
• 1996 - David W. Oxtoby
• 1995 - Geoffrey R. Stone
• 1994 - Janel Mueller
• 1993 - Rick A. Shweder
• 1992 - Neil Harris
• 1991 - Richard Strier
• 1990 - Gerhard Casper, Provost of the University of Chicago from 1989-1992; “A Golden Age of Education”
• 1989 - Samuel Hellman, A.N. Pritzker Distinguished Service Professor of the Division of Biological Sciences and Pritzker School of Medicine; Vice President of the University of Chicago Medical Center from 1998-1993; “Clinician, Investigator, Educator, Administrator”
• 1988 - Daniel Garber, Lawrence Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy and the College from 1975-2002
• 1987 - Hanna H. Gray, President of the University from 1978-1993; Harry Pratt Judson Distinguished Service Professor of History and the College
• 1986 - Walter E. Massey, Professor of Physics, Vice President of Research from 1979-1991
• 1985 - Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Professor of the History of Religions in the Divinity School; Professor of South Asian Language & Civilizations, Committee on Social Thought, and the College; “Inside and Outside the Mouth of God: The Boundary Between Myth and Reality ”
• 1984 - Philip B. Kurland, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Service Professor of Law and the College
• 1983 - Edward W. Rosenheim, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor in English Language and Literature
• 1982 - Jonathan Z. Smith, Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities; Professor of the Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, the Committee on the History of Culture, and the College
• 1981 - Leon R. Kass, Addie Clark Harding Professor of Social Thought and in the College
• 1980 - Ralph W. Nicholas, William Rainey Harper Professor of Anthropology and of the Social Sciences in the College
• 1979 - Joseph Cropsey, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science and in the College
• 1978 - Richard P. Taub, Paul Klapper Professor in the Social Sciences, Professor of Sociology, Chair of the Department of Comparative Human Development
• 1977 - Karl J. Weintraub, Thomas E. Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor of History, in the Committee on Social Thought, the Committee on the History Culture, the Humanities Collegiate Division, and the College
• 1976 - Ira A. Kipnis & Kenneth J. Northcott; Kipnis: Professor of the Social Sciences in the College, Northcott: Professor of Germanic Language & Literature, the Committees on Comparative Studies in Literature, General Studies in the Humanities, and the College
• 1975 - Nancy P. Helmbold & Peter O. Vandervoort; Helmbold: Professor of Classical Languages & Literature, New Testament & Early Christian Literature, and the College, Vandervoort: Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the College
• 1974 - James M. Redfield, Edward Olson Distinguished Service Professor of Classics and Professor in the Committee of Social Thought
• 1973 - Norman H. Nachtrieb, Professor of Chemistry; “Toward Understanding”
• 1972 - Arnold W. Ravin, Master of the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division; Associate Dean of the College; Associate Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences & the Pritzker School of Medicine; Professor of Biology, the Committee on Evolutionary Biology, the Committee on Conceptual Foundation of Sciences; Research Associate Professor of the Department of Microbiology; “The Aims of Education and the Place of Science in the College Curriculum”
• 1971 - Meyer W. Isenberg, Senior Adviser in the Humanities Collegiate Division and Professor of Humanities
• 1970 - Wayne C. Booth, George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor of English Language & Literature, Committee on the Analysis of Ideas & Methods, and the College; “What’s Supposed To Be Going On Here?”
• 1969 - Warner A. Wick, Professor of Philosophy, Dean of Students
• 1968 - James M. Redfield, Edward Olson Distinguished Service Professor of Classics and Professor in the Committee of Social Thought; “The Community of Theory”
• 1967 - Edward H. Levi, President of the University of Chicago, 1968-1975, Glen A. Lloyd Distinguished Service Professor of the Law School, the Committee on Social Thought, and the College; “The Shape, Process and Purpose of the University of Chicago”
• 1966 - Wayne C. Booth, George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor of English Language & Literature, Committee on the Analysis of Ideas & Methods, and the College; “Useful and Useless Education: New Letters of Screwtape”
• 1965 - Wayne C. Booth, George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor of English Language & Literature, Committee on the Analysis of Ideas & Methods, and the College
• 1964 - Sylvain Bromberger, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and the Physical Sciences in the College
• 1963 - Karl J. Weintraub, Thomas E. Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor of History, in the Committee on Social Thought, the Committee on the History Culture, the Humanities Collegiate Division, and the College
• 1962 - Christian Mackauer, William Rainey Harper Professor of History
• 1961 - Aaron J. Brumbaugh, Clarence Faust, & Joseph Schwab; Brumbaugh & Faust: Former Deans of the College, Schwab: William Rainey Harper Professor of Biology and of Education; “How to Shop in a Cafeteria”

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The aims of education, and other essays

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The purpose of education

Schools Minister Nick Gibb addresses the Education Reform Summit.

Education reform is the great social justice cause of our times. If we are to deliver a fairer society, in which opportunity is shared more widely, we must secure the highest standards of education for all young people, regardless of their background.

This is the commitment which has been at the heart of the government’s programme of reform. It is a pleasure to speak at a conference today with so many dedicated professionals and experts who share this belief, and have guided and implemented the changes we have introduced.

Today, thanks to the hard work of thousands of teachers, 100,000 more 6-year-olds are on track to become confident readers as a result of our focus on phonics.

Two hundred thousand fewer pupils are persistently absent from school compared to 5 years ago.

And over a million more children now attend a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ school than in 2010.

But too many children still do not receive the standard of education to which they are entitled. In this new Parliament, we will continue to support teachers to raise standards and challenge underperformance.

Two weeks ago, we confirmed the next steps in our programme of structural reform, by setting out more details of how we will support and turn around schools which are ‘coasting’ or failing through the Education and Adoption Bill .

And we have announced our intention that 11-year-olds starting secondary school in September will be the first cohort to benefit from a core academic curriculum when they reach GCSE .

Purpose of education

Today, though, I would like to take a step back from the details of our reforms and turn to a broader question: what is the purpose of education?

Education is the engine of our economy, it is the foundation of our culture, and it’s an essential preparation for adult life. Delivering on our commitment to social justice requires us to place these 3 objectives at the heart of our education system.

We all have a responsibility to educate the next generation of informed citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said, and instilling in them a love of knowledge and culture for their own sake. But education is also about the practical business of ensuring that young people receive the preparation they need to secure a good job and a fulfilling career, and have the resilience and moral character to overcome challenges and succeed.

The government’s economic record is strong. Last year, GDP grew by 3% - the strongest growth since 2006, and the fastest in the G7 . At the end of 2014, employment was at its highest-ever level, with 1.85 million more people in work since the coalition government entered office. Business investment has increased by 25.6% since the first quarter of 2010.

But the data on productivity has been mixed. In line with other advanced economies, productivity fell in the financial crisis, though it has since been increasing steadily. The UK does, however, have a long-term productivity challenge. Output per hour in the UK was 17 percentage points below the G7 average in 2013. We are addressing this gap, by rebalancing our economy, investing in our infrastructure, and building a competitive tax system.

But perhaps most important of all, we must ensure that more people have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a demanding economy. Here too, our long-term performance has lagged behind those of our international competitors. Our 15-year-olds are on average 3 years behind their peers in Shanghai in mathematics and we are the only OECD country whose young people do not have better levels of literacy or numeracy than their grandparents’ generation.

Our ambitious programme of reform is addressing this legacy, and this starts by getting the basics right. Reading underpins a child’s academic performance throughout their school career. In 2014, only 1 in 3 pupils who had just reached the current expected standard in English when in key stage 2, achieved 5 good GCSEs including English and mathematics. By contrast, almost 3 in 4 of those with a high level 4 in English achieved this GCSE standard.

The importance of strong literacy skills remain long after a young person has left school or formal education. Adults with good literacy skills (the equivalent of a good English Language GCSE or better) are much more likely to be in work than those with lower levels of literacy: 83% compared to 55%. Data from the recent OECD Survey of Adult Skills show that unemployed adults are twice as likely to have weak literacy skills as those in full-time employment.

We recognised the strong evidence demonstrating that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective way to teach children to read. In 2012, we therefore introduced the year 1 phonics screening check to help teachers identify pupils falling behind with their phonic knowledge, who may benefit from additional help. We are supporting schools to establish phonics partnerships to help them further improve the quality of their phonics teaching. Each of the successful groups will be led by a school that achieves excellence in teaching early reading. The partnerships will receive £10,000 to improve the quality of phonics teaching; they will develop models that can be used by other schools, and share knowledge and resources that come out of their work.

A basic mastery in mathematics is also essential to success in our modern economy. We have learnt from the best international systems, launching the highly successful teacher exchange with Shanghai . Our new network of maths hubs across England is now raising standards by helping primary schools to deliver the highly effective Asian-style mastery approach and strengthen teaching through the use of high-quality textbooks.

In secondary school, the new mathematics GCSE places greater emphasis on mathematical reasoning and the application of maths; and includes new content to better support transition to the A level - on, for example, rates of change and quadratic functions.

We have taken the important step of introducing ‘core maths’ qualifications for students with a good GCSE in the subject at age 16 but who don’t continue to the A level - to enable them to study this essential subject beyond GCSE .

Employers want to see many more young people entering the labour market with high-level skills in STEM subjects. I’m pleased to support the Your Life campaign which aims to encourage more young people - girls and boys - to continue with these subjects to A level and beyond.

For too long, the quality of technical and vocational education in England has lagged behind that of our international competitors - as a result, employers have sometimes struggled to find staff with the skills they need to grow their business and create jobs. In 2011, we asked Professor Alison Wolf to review vocational education , and have acted swiftly to implement her recommendations. We have removed over 3,000 low-value qualifications from performance tables and introduced tech levels and technical certificates, which set rigorous new standards for technical qualifications.

We have worked with universities and employers to open 30 university technical colleges , which combine the study of technical subjects, including engineering and life sciences, with the core academic qualifications that employers demand. We are committed to having a UTC within reach of every city.

Equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to secure a place at a good university, start an apprenticeship, or find their first job, is a fundamental responsibility of all of us working in education. But the purpose of education is, of course, far broader.

As we all know, education has an intrinsic value as the hallmark of a civilised society and the foundation of our culture. Matthew Arnold was a great education reformer of the 19th century. He is best remembered now as a cultural critic, but he also spent 35 years as an HMI , the last 2 of which as Chief Inspector. In ‘Culture and Anarchy’, his best-known work, he articulated the liberal ideal of a high-quality education for all, which:

[…]seeks to do away with classes; to make the best that has been known and thought in the world current everywhere; to make all men live in an atmosphere of sweetness and light, where they may use ideas, as it uses them itself, freely, - nourished, and not bound by them.

This ideal must be reflected in reality if we are to build an education system with social justice at its heart.

Jonathan Rose provides a masterful account of our long tradition of the autodidact - of individuals from all backgrounds staking their claim to our cultural inheritance - in ‘The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes’. This tradition spans from the 14th century Lollards, suppressed by the church because their ‘vernacular Bible threatened to break a clerical monopoly on knowledge’.

It includes Charles Campbell, a Scottish cotton-spinner born in 1793. He set aside a few pennies of his weekly wage of 8 shillings to pay for a library membership. He was a member of a club of 12 artisans and mechanics who met weekly to discuss literary topics. Their goal was not economic self-improvement - it was a deeper intellectual life. Campbell wrote:

[…]the lover of learning… unbends the wing of his imagination, and solaces his weary mind in the delightful gardens of the classic muse of poetry and music.

The tradition of course continues today. But the truth is that the successful autodidact, finding their own way through literature, history and culture, with little formal education, is a rare exception. For the vast majority, a high-quality education in school is essential - a ‘love of learning’ is not sufficient.

Engaging with a text firstly requires an ability to read. This includes decoding skill, but also reading fluency and speed of reading built up through practice over many years. But reading also demands background knowledge - of vocabulary and of context assumed by the author - assumed knowledge. Factual knowledge is essential for reading comprehension.

Mark Twain wrote, disdainfully, that:

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

Daniel Willingham, the American cognitive scientist, is clear that this denial of the importance of schools to culture and imagination is inconsistent with the scientific evidence. Willingham writes:

I don’t know why some great thinkers (who undoubtedly knew many facts) took delight in denigrating schools, often depicting them as factories for the useless memorisation of information… I for one don’t need brilliant, highly capable minds telling me (and my children) how silly it is to know things.

We must resist attempts to divide culture from knowledge, or to suggest that a focus on a core academic curriculum in school makes it more difficult to develop our young people into creative, engaged citizens.

The core academic subjects at school are the primary colours of an educated person’s palette, enabling them to read more, not just within those subjects but also the subjects that emanate from them: history and maths underpin economics; the study of English links to drama; paleontology combines chemistry and biology.

We have also continued to champion the importance of the arts in schools. Music and art and design are statutory subjects in the national curriculum for 5- to 14-year-olds and the national curriculum also ensures that pupils study drama and dance.

Over the 2012 to 2016 period we have spent over £460 million in a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes designed to improve access to the arts for all children regardless of their background and to develop talent across the country. These include support for: music education hubs , the Sorrell Foundation’s National Art and Design Saturday Clubs, the British Film Institute’s ‘Film Academy’, Music for Youth’s School Proms, the National Youth Dance Company, and support for the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

The Music and Dance Scheme , funded by the department, enables our most talented young people to receive a world-class education in our top music and dance schools. This year we are spending £29 million to ensure that the children who are able to benefit from this specialist education are those with the most talent, not those whose parents can afford to pay the fees. Just last week, I had the privilege to attend the Royal Ballet School’s End of Year Performance, and the virtuosity on display was astonishing.

Preparation for adult life

These 2 purposes of education - to grow our economy and nurture our culture - are vital. But I believe there is a third, very practical purpose to education. Adult life today is complicated, and we owe it to young people to ensure that they have the character and sense of moral purpose to succeed.

There is now very clear evidence that schools can make a significant contribution to their pupils’ achievement by finding opportunities to instil key character traits, including persistence, grit, optimism and curiosity.

This is not about vague notions of ‘learning how to learn’ or ‘therapeutic education’, and we will not return to the failed approaches of the past. In 2005, the then-government promoted and funded a strategy to schools named ‘ social and emotional aspects of learning ’. This was a well-meaning attempt to ensure children received a broader education. But it failed, because it was part of a wider retreat from the importance of knowledge-based curriculums in schools. Its evaluation found that SEAL was in fact associated with declining respect for teachers and enjoyment of school.

We have recognised that a broader education - including character and values - can only succeed when it is underpinned by the highest standards of academic rigour.

The Knowledge is Power Programme schools - KIPP -are one of the earliest and best groups of charter schools in the United States. Their first school opened in Houston, Texas in 1999. They now have 162 schools educating 60,000 pupils throughout the USA, 87% of whom come from low income families.

The first pupils to graduate from KIPP schools left with academic records which no-one had previously dared to expect from young people growing up in the neighbourhoods from which they came. More than 94% of KIPP middle school students have graduated high school, and more than 82% of KIPP alumni have gone on to college.

But while these students from disadvantaged backgrounds were entering colleges in greater numbers than ever before, it soon became clear that they were much more likely to drop out than their more advantaged peers.

The American academic ED Hirsch has made a persuasive case that an important reason for this gap is a deficit of vocabulary and knowledge. KIPP charters are middle schools - so children enter aged 11 or 12. Even the excellent education they receive after they arrive cannot overcome the disadvantage which they have already experienced. Building vocabulary and knowledge simply takes too long. Once in college, without the intensive support provided by KIPP , some are falling behind.

I have no doubt that this explanation is correct. But I am convinced that that these pupils struggled in college for another reason, too. Recent research - particularly the work of Angela Duckworth and the Nobel Laureate James Heckman - has examined the impact of character on underperformance. They have found that key attributes including resilience, self-control and social intelligence are powerful predictors of achievement in education and success in adult life.

Robert Putnam, a Harvard Professor of Public Policy, recently published ‘Our Kids’, an account of the decline of social mobility in the United States over the past half-century. He places part of the blame on unequal access which disadvantaged children have to extracurricular activities, compared to the greater opportunities open to children in better-off circumstances.

If we are to deliver on our commitment to social justice, breaking the cycle of disadvantage so that every child reaches their potential, we must therefore ensure that all pupils benefit from an education based on these values.

Character education is already a part of the ethos and culture of many good schools. In the United States, KIPP schools now focus on developing grit, resilience and self-confidence in their pupils, and this work is showing results. As of spring 2015, 45% of KIPP pupils have gained a college degree, compared to a national average of 34%, and just 9% from low-income families.

Building on this evidence, we launched a national awards scheme to reward and showcase schools and organisations who demonstrated their commitment to building character in young people aged 5 to 16.

We are also providing £3.5 million to fund 14 projects to build and better understand what works and share the good practice with all schools.

Premier Rugby Limited and 14 professional rugby clubs are leading one of these projects, in the year that the Rugby World Cup comes to England. Building on the core rugby values of respect, teamwork, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship, the programme will deliver classroom based and physical activity character building programmes to 17,250 pupils. An additional programme funded by Premier Rugby and its partnerships will offer an intensive 33 week programme to 480 16- to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training. These vulnerable young people will benefit from character building activities, qualifications and work experience, setting them up for a more successful future.

A further project will be led by Floreat Education, a trust with 2 new free schools. They will receive funding to develop and pilot a character virtue development programme for reception, year 1 and year 2 in its 2 new free schools, from September. The project will also provide significant resources and support for other schools, helping to spread the impact of their work more widely.

Three purposes - empowering young people to succeed in the economy, participate in culture, and leave school prepared for adult life - have consistently guided our programme of reform. Delivering on our commitment to social justice means placing these principles at the centre of everything we do, so that every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential.

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Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 6 education issues

Cory Turner

How the candidates differ on their views and policies on education

Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face off in a debate on Tuesday. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

As presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump don’t have a lot in common when it comes to their views on education.

Trump has said America’s public schools “have been taken over by the radical Left maniacs,” and that he wants to close the U.S. Department of Education.

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Harris has vowed to keep the department open.

Democrats are for free, universal preschool for all 4-year-olds.

Republicans are for universal school choice, where parents have the power — and the public dollars — to enroll their children in any school they want, whether it’s public or private.

6 takeaways from Harris' interview on CNN

The list goes on.

Ahead of the candidates’ only scheduled debate, in Philadelphia on Tuesday, we’ve put together a handy primer of their education views.

1. On closing the U.S. Department of Education

Trump, in an interview on X , told Elon Musk that, if elected, “I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”

Harris didn’t talk much about education in her DNC speech , but she did parry Trump’s plan: “We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

A quick explanatory comma about that funding: Most public school funding comes from states and local communities. But the department does administer two large funding streams, now more than $30 billion, that Congress codified into law decades ago to help schools educate 1.) children with disabilities and 2.) kids living in low-income communities.

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It’s not clear if Trump’s desire to close the department would also mean disrupting this funding.

Project 2025, a blueprint for the next Republican presidency that included input from Trump loyalists, recommends closing the department, turning both funding streams into no-strings-attached grants and phasing out the low-income support dollars within 10 years.

But the Trump campaign has disavowed Project 2025. NPR asked the campaign to clarify its position on funding for children with disabilities and kids living in low-income communities, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: “ President Trump will ensure a great education for every child by returning our education system to the states where it belongs.”

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The Education Department debate isn’t just financial. It’s also symbolic.

Trump and some Republicans believe, fundamentally, that education should only be a local and state concern, as there’s no mention of a federal role in education in the U.S. Constitution. To them the department is the poster child for government overreach, which is why Republicans have been calling for the department’s dissolution ever since it was created in 1979.

Where Republicans see local control of education as an inherently good thing, allowing schools to better reflect the values of their communities, Harris and many Democrats also see inequity in some districts’ inability (and sometimes unwillingness) to serve marginalized students.

Congress created those funding streams to help level the playing field and to give the department the ability to hold districts accountable when they fall short on civil rights. Harris has previously backed increasing funding for low-income students and children with disabilities.

Disagreements aside, can the department be shut down?

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Not by the president, no. It was created by Congress, and only Congress can close it. Some House Republicans have tried , but there’s simply not enough support, not just among Democrats but Republicans, too. Public surveys show even a majority of Republicans believe the U.S. government should be spending more, not less, on education.

Keep in mind, eight years ago then-presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested he might try to close the Education Department. He then got his chance as president — with Republican control of Congress — but never forced the issue.

2. On sex-based discrimination in schools, aka Title IX

In April, the Biden-Harris administration expanded protections against sex discrimination in schools to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Meaning, among other things, it believes students should be allowed to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

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This is not a change in federal law. That requires Congress. It’s a change in interpretation of the law, known as Title IX, courtesy of new regulations from the U.S. Department of Education.

Trump and many Republicans see this expanded interpretation of Title IX as Democrats imposing liberalism on schools. In a recent call with reporters, representatives of the Trump campaign and the RNC repeatedly derided what they called Harris’ “radical gender ideology.”

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If this sounds all-too-familiar, that’s because this is an old fight. In 2016, the Obama administration issued guidance to schools , telling them that students should be allowed to use the bathroom facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

In early 2017, the nascent Trump administration quickly moved in the opposite direction, abandoning that interpretation of the law.

Protesting these latest Biden administration provisions, roughly half of all states have sued the department, and the courts have blocked the Education Department from enforcing the regulations in those states. Trump has said, if re-elected, he would roll back the rule, just as he did the old Obama-era guidance.

3. On school choice

We’re using “choice” here broadly because many of Trump’s education proposals shoot from the same root: That parents should have total or near-total control over their child’s education.

First, he’s calling for universal school choice. This would, in theory, take public dollars normally spent on a child’s public education and give them directly to parents to spend at whatever school they want, whether it’s public, private or homeschooling at the kitchen table.

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He has also called for a Parental Bill of Rights and for school principals to be hired — and fired — by parents. “If any principal is not getting the job done, the parents should be able to vote to fire them and select someone who will. This will be the ultimate form of local control,” Trump said in July.

Trump also wants to make it easier to fire “bad” teachers, by ending tenure protections, and to reward strong teachers with merit pay. “If we have pink-haired Communists teaching our kids, we have a major problem. When I am president, we will put PARENTS back in charge and give them the final say,” he said.

It’s difficult to imagine how a second Trump administration could implement these ideas around school choice or principal and teacher retention, though, as the U.S. government has limited power to influence state and school district policy.

Democrats, on the other hand, made clear in their 2024 platform that they’re against any effort that could weaken the nation’s public schools. “We oppose the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education. Public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

That’s likely a reference to the fact that, in some state voucher programs, a private school is allowed to reject children with disabilities if it doesn’t believe it has the staff or resources to meet their needs. Federal law requires that schools that receive federal funding provide kids with disabilities a free and appropriate public education.

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In a letter to Harris , some two-dozen grassroots education groups urged her not to choose Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to be her running mate, because of his previous support for private-school vouchers . She ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former public school teacher and coach.

Harris has been an outspoken supporter of public education and has been courting educators’ support. In a speech to the American Federation of Teachers, she told the crowd, “We need you so desperately right now,” and called it “the most noble of work, teaching other people’s children.”

As part of her presidential bid in 2019, Harris proposed a $300 billion plan to raise teacher pay. Though she has not revived the plan, she did tell the AFT, “God knows we don’t pay you enough.”

4. On early childhood education and support

Harris and Democrats have talked as much, if not more, about early childhood education and childcare than they have about K-12 policies. Harris has proposed expanding the Child Tax Credit after a brief, pandemic-era expansion dramatically cut child poverty , and she pitched an even larger boost of up to $6,000 for newborns.

The Democrats’ 2024 platform also includes support for free, universal preschool for 4-year-olds, something the Biden-Harris administration had previously championed but was forced to abandon in negotiations with Congress.

Finally, there’s Head Start, the federally-funded program that provides child care and early learning for children from low-income families. The Biden-Harris administration has been a staunch supporter of Head Start, which serves children from birth to age 5. In her DNC speech , Harris promised not to let Trump “end programs like Head Start that provide preschool and child care.”

Harris was likely referring, again, to Project 2025 , which alleges Head Start is “fraught with scandal and abuse” and recommends eliminating it entirely. Congressional funding for Head Start rose during the Trump administration, in spite of the White House calling for modest cuts .

NPR asked the Trump campaign to clarify its position on Head Start funding. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: “By returning our education system back to the states, our early childhood education system will thrive because parents will have more say in their child’s education and good teachers will be rewarded.”

5. On banning books and “divisive concepts”

Between July and December 2023, PEN America recorded more than 4,300 instances of school book bans, a big uptick from the previous year.

Of the books that were targeted in the 2021-’22 and ‘22-’23 school years, the nonprofit found that 37% grappled with race and racism and included characters of color, and 36% included LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

Trump has been an unabashed champion of efforts to limit how schools approach issues of race and gender. In 2020, he created the 1776 Commission , which lamented that “many students are now taught in school to hate their own country, and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but rather villains.”

Since then, some states have passed laws curtailing what teachers can and cannot say in the classroom when it comes to matters of race and gender. And in July, as part of his Plan To Save American Education , Trump pledged to “cut federal funding for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content,” though it’s not clear how or if he could do that.

Kamala Harris used her speech before the American Federation of Teachers to blast Trump.

“While you teach students about our nation’s past,” she told the crowd of teachers, “these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history, including book bans. Book bans in this year of our Lord 2024.”

6. On college affordability

The Biden-Harris administration went all-in on federal student loan forgiveness. Some of its plans worked , but the administration has so far failed to convince the courts that its most ambitious efforts at loan forgiveness are legal.

That may explain why, on the campaign trail, Harris isn’t talking much about future loan forgiveness, or making new promises. Instead, she’s largely backward-looking.

“Our administration has forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans,” Harris told the American Federation of Teachers gathering, emphasizing that many of those Americans are teachers who received Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

As a senator and vice president, Harris has also supported efforts to make community college free, a commitment echoed in the 2024 Democratic party platform .

As for Trump, as president he previously tried to eliminate PSLF , and he and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have both spoken out against broad loan forgiveness.

In 2023, after the Supreme Court blocked Biden’s first big effort, Trump celebrated : “President Biden is not allowed to wipe out hundreds and hundreds of billions, probably trillions, of dollars in student loan debt, which would have been very unfair to the millions and millions of people who have paid their debt through hard work and diligence.”

The 2024 Republican party platform pledges , “to reduce the cost of Higher Education, Republicans will support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year College degree.”

Last year, Trump unveiled plans for an online college alternative he’s calling The American Academy: “We will take the billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments, and we will then use that money to endow a new institution… Its mission will be to make a truly world-class education available to every American, free of charge, and do it without adding a single dime to the federal debt.”

Considering more than 70 million American students are enrolled in school, from K-12 to college , let’s hope the candidates get a chance to debate their ideas and their differences on Tuesday.

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America, our hope is in you.

One and a half years ago I knew only one America--an America that gave me an equal chance in the struggle for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If I were asked then--"what does America mean to you?"--I would answer without any hesitation and with all sincerity--"America means freedom, equality, security, and justice." The other night while I was preparing for this speech, I asked myself this same question--"What does America mean to you?" I hesitated--I was not sure of my answer. I wondered if America still means and will mean freedom, equality, security, and justice when some of its citizens were segregated, discriminated against, and treated so unfairly. I knew I was not the only American seeking an answer. Then I remembered that old saying--All the answers to the future will be found in the past for all men. So unmindful of the searchlights reflecting in my windows, I sat down and tried to recall all the things that were taught to me in my history, sociology, and American life classes. This is what I remembered: America was born in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, and for 167 years it has been held as the hope, the only hope, for the common man. America has guaranteed to each and all, native and foreign, the right to build a home, to earn a livelihood, to worship, think, speak, and act as he pleased--as a free man equal to every other man. Every revolution within the last 167 years which had for its aim more freedom was based on her constitution. No cry from an oppressed people has ever gone unanswered by her. America froze, shoeless, in the snow at Valley Forge, and battled for her life at Gettysburg. She gave the world its greatest symbols of democracy: George Washington, who [f]reed her from tyranny; Thomas Jefferson, who defined her democratic course; and Abraham Lincoln, who saved her and renewed her faith. Sometimes America failed and suffered. Sometimes she made mistakes, great mistakes, but she always admitted them and tried to rectify all the injustice that flowed from them. I noticed that the major trend in American history has been towards equality and fair play for all. America hounded and harassed the Indians, then remembering that these were the first Americans, she gave them back their citizenship. She enslaved the Negroes, then again remembering Americanism, she wrote out the Emancipation Proclaimation. She persecuted the German-Americans during the first World War, then recalling that America was born of those who came from every nation skeeing liberty and justice, she repented. Her history is full of errors but with each mistake she has learned and has marched forward onward toward a goal of security and peace and a society of free men where the understanding that all men are created equal, an understanding that all men whatever their race, color, or religion be given an equal opportunity to serve themselves and each other waccording to their needs and abilities. Can we the graduating class of Amache Senior High School, still believe that America means freedom, equality, security, and justice for all? Do I believe this? Do my classmates believe this? Yes, with all our hearts, because in that faith, in that hope, is my future, our future, and the world's future.

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Last updated: August 16, 2024

• Free Speech

University of Austin Enters Its First Academic Year

The newly minted, hotly debated university, founded by some vocal conservative figures, opened the doors to it first cohort of freshmen.

By  Sara Weissman

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First year-students and staff at University of Austin meet with Texas governor Greg Abbott (center).

University of Austin

University of Austin, a new higher ed institution founded by high-profile conservative figures, officially welcomed its inaugural class on Monday.

The university, sometimes referred to as UATX, markets itself as an institution born out of alarm over the “rising tide of illiberalism and censoriousness prevalent in America’s universities” and says it is committed to “the pursuit of truth.”

In his speech at convocation, President Pano Kanelos, who formerly served as president of St. John’s College, described the university’s 92-student cohort as “pioneers.”

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“As I look across this room, I do not see students or faculty or staff or loved ones,” Kanelos said. “I see a room filled with the courageous, the bold, with pioneers, with heroes. I see a room filled with those who have said, emphatically, ‘We will not accept passively what we have been handed, the givens are not good enough, we will create anew.’”

“We have come together, all of us, as founders,” he added.

Provost Jacob Howland told students in his opening remarks that launching the university involved trekking through “rough terrain.”

“In under three years, we have built a rough-hewn yet sturdy and serviceable outpost of real education,” Howland said.

The university is not accredited but received approval from the state of Texas to grant degrees, which allowed it to begin accepting applications last November. Students can earn a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in one of the fields offered by the university’s “centers of academic inquiry,” which include STEM, arts and letters, and economics, politics and history. The university currently employs about 20 faculty members, with no tenure system. Tuition is $32,000 per year.

On convocation day, students met with Governor Greg Abbott at the Texas state capitol. Then, in a hotel ballroom near campus, students decked out in dark-blue robes each signed the register to officially enroll, receiving a copy of The Odyssey , Kanelos told Inside Higher Ed . He said the incoming class comes from at least two dozen states. And some of the students are familiar faces from high school programs UATX ran in various cities—including Austin, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami and Washington—before the university’s launch, according to the website .

“It really suddenly felt like, wow, we’re a university now,” Kanelos said.

The fledgling institution sparked controversy when it was first announced three years ago on the Substack of conservative writer Bari Weiss, who now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees.

The university’s Board of Advisors includes prominent names including Larry Summers, president emeritus of Harvard University; West Virginia University president E. Gordon Gee; and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. It also includes some controversial figures, such as Dorian Abbot, a University of Chicago geophysics professor known for his outspoken criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion; Joshua Katz, who was fired from Princeton University over a relationship with a student; and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank at Stanford University, who has asserted that Islam is incompatible with Western, democratic ideals.

The Root mocked the university as “Hogwarts for Wypipo” and dubbed it “anti-woke.” Some academics have blasted UATX for judging the rest of higher ed too harshly; University of Chicago chancellor Robert J. Zimmer, who left the advisory board, wrote in a statement that while he admired the “new organization’s commitment to a liberal arts education and free expression,” he viewed the founders’ statements on higher ed as “largely quite critical” and said they “diverged very significantly” from his own. Similarly, Wesleyan University president Michael S. Roth wrote in Politico that the University of Austin raised some legitimate concerns but also made a name for itself by “attacking” other institutions for “being too tied to the elite liberal consensus,” dismissing the internal grappling and pursuit of diversity that much of the sector aspires to.

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“We’ve heard such complaints again and again from moderate and conservative critics at odds with students and faculty devoted to such things as rooting out racism, treating less conventional people with respect and eradicating gender-based violence and discrimination,” Roth wrote.

Kanelos believes all the media attention helped the university to recruit students. He said that the day the university opened applications, at least 100 students submitted them. He described the inaugural class as a “politically heterogeneous group” demonstrating a “a hunger to throw around ideas and interest in hearing what other people had to say.”

“When politics come up, you hear not just two sides, but like five sides to everything,” he said.

Weiss and others celebrated the university’s first convocation on X .

She wrote that the university began as “an idea” tossed around by herself and a few others: Kanelos; entrepreneur and co-founder of Palantir Technologies Joe Lonsdale, now the university’s board chairman; and Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution.

“Today in Austin it becomes a reality,” she posted. “Welcome to the class of 2028.”

Making Sense of MIT’s Diversity Decline

Jim Jump considers the drop in underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students in MIT’s new entering class.

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Politics latest: Chancellor warns of 'more difficult decisions to come' as she addresses Labour MPs over winter fuel payment cut

Rachel Reeves remained defiant in a behind-closed-doors meeting of Labour MPs amid vast "unease" at the winter fuel payment cut, with a Commons vote on the issue set for Tuesday.

Monday 9 September 2024 23:03, UK

• Chancellor stands firm on winter fuel cut at crunch meeting with Labour MPs | But unease in party remains, writes Liz Bates
• Peer looking to kill change in Lords | Cutting winter fuel payment is 'picking pockets' of pensioners, says union chief
• Ex-Tory minister predicts who will be knocked out of leadership race next
• Rob Powell : Labour have decided it's fine to be unpopular for the moment
• Jon Craig : Boxing gloves on at Trades Union Congress
• Explained: What could a rebellion look like - and would there be consequences?
• Listen : Rachel Reeves v the rebels
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch and (earlier)  Tim Baker

Explained: Our latest essential guides

• Who's running to be Tory leader
• Tax rises: What might go up | How council tax could change | What chancellor could do to pensions

It's 10pm and things are wrapping up for the night in Westminster.

Here's what you need to know before you head to bed:

• Chancellor Rachel Reeves has  defended the government's winter fuel payment cut in a meeting of Labour MPs , calling for unity, while also warning that there are "more difficult decisions to come";
• A minister said this morning that " all options" are being looked at to make sure those in poverty do not suffer;
• Unite boss Sharon Graham  has told Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge  that the decision is "totally and utterly wrong", and demanded that Labour not impose "austerity mark two" ( more here );
• MPs are expected to  vote on the change tomorrow ;
• Political correspondent Tamara Cohen  writes that "dozens" of Labour MPs are weighing up how to vote - and it will be a real test of Sir Keir Starmer's authority.
• Paul Nowak , the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, told the group's annual conference that it won't always agree with the new government ;
• Mr Nowak and other union chiefs are not happy about the cutting of the winter fuel payment;
• It's "boxing gloves on" and the TUC meeting in Brighton, according to chief political correspondent Jon Craig .
• Elsewhere, actor Idris Elba  joined a roundtable on knife crime in Downing Street ;
• He spoke alongside the prime minister , campaigners and families of victims as they look to reduce knife crime;
• And finally, the remaining five Conservative Party leadership candidates took part in a hustings this afternoon  ahead of another vote tomorrow.

Thank you for joining us on the Politics Hub for live coverage of the day's events in Westminster.

You can catch up on all the key lines in our 10pm bulletin here .

Join us again from 6am tomorrow ahead of a crunch vote on cutting the winter fuel allowance - and a vote to eliminate another candidate from the Tory leadership race.

Sir Keir Starmer will tomorrow become the first prime minister in 15 years to address the Trades Union Congress at their annual conference.

Amid the backdrop of controversy over plans to scrap the winter fuel payment to pensioners, the prime minister will appeal for the "politics in partnership".

"With us in government, with business, and most importantly of all, with working people… the mood is for partnership," he will say, arguing that it applies to the NHS, improving public services, and expanding clean energy.

"Partnership is a more difficult way of doing politics. I know there's clarity in the old ways, the zero-sum ways: business versus worker, management versus union, public versus private. That kind of politics is not what the British people want."

Sir Keir will reiterate his "country first, party second" slogan and say: "I make no apologies to those, still stuck in the 1980s, who believe that unions and business can only stand at odds, leaving working people stuck in the middle."

But the PM will also hit out at the Tories and the inheritance he says they left: "When we finally saw the books, and with trust in politics so low, I had to be honest with the British people when standing in the full sunlight of democracy, I owed it to them to promise only what we knew we could deliver.

"And yet even in our worst fears, we didn't think it would be this bad."

In better news for unions, he will reiterate his pledge to deliver a New Deal for Working People, saying the government is "committed to driving up living standards, improving productivity, and working in partnership with workers".

"And as part of that bill we will repeal the 2016 Trade Union Act, we will get rid of Minimum Service Level legislation, end the cheap and vindictive attacks on this movement and turn the page on politics as noisy performance – once and for all," Sir Keir will say.

"We will keep to the course of change, reject the snake oil of easy answers, fix the foundations of our economy and build a new Britain.

"More secure, more prosperous, more dynamic, and fairer. A country renewed and returned, calmly but with confidence, to the service of working people."

There are still five people left in the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride are all set to go before a hustings of Tory MPs this afternoon.

But pollsters at Savanta have been asking the public at large for their views on the various candidates.

They quizzed 2,239 UK adults about who they thought would make a better prime minister - Sir Keir Starmer or each one of the Tory hopefuls.

It does not make pretty reading for those in blue.

The best performing was Mr Cleverly - 23% thought he would make a better PM, while 47% backed Sir Keir.

Mr Tugendhat was down by 47% to 22%, Mr Jenrick by 48% to 20% and Ms Badenoch by 49% to 20%.

Languishing in last is Mr Stride - down by 48% to 16%.

The missing percentage will be those who don't know.

One key factor in the current race is the public is not as familiar with the candidates - which might impact the results.

As she arrived at what could have been an uncomfortable meeting with Labour MPs today, the chancellor seemed confident and relaxed.

In the room, Rachel Reeves was said to be the same, approaching the unrest about changes to the winter fuel allowance defiantly ahead of a vote on the issue tomorrow.

Any suggestion of a climbdown, or even a few concessions to soften the blow of the £1.4bn cut for the poorest, were brushed aside.

Instead, a bullish message to the hundreds of MPs in the room: "There are more difficult decisions to come."

But although there were no dissenting voices prepared to pipe up in front of colleagues, away from the committee room there was still some unease.

One MP who has previously said he'll abstain was disappointed at the lack of alternative measures to protect the most vulnerable.

Others will no doubt feel the pressure from their unhappy constituents tomorrow as they linger outside the voting lobbies.

It is the first big test of discipline, and despite today's show of strength from the chancellor, she will need to keep any insubordination to a minimum if she is to maintain her authority and her tight grip on the purse strings.

By Alix Culbertson , political reporter

Prisoners set to be released early tomorrow have been trawled through in an attempt to not let domestic abusers go, the policing minister said.

Tuesday will see about 1,700 prisoners released early in an attempt to alleviate overcrowded prisons in England and Wales.

The government said serious violent criminals, terrorists and domestic abuse perpetrators will not be released as part of the scheme.

However, the domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs told The Times victims of domestic abuse are having "sleepless nights" over the release as they fear those who have been convicted of crimes such as common assault towards a partner will not be flagged as domestic abusers.

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said the government has been trying to ensure that does not happen.

She told Sky News: "There's been a real trawl through to try and identify where their primary offence isn't domestic abuse, we know there's a history and that's where the steps have been put in to protect as best we can.

"Because we know, unfortunately, domestic abuse is so prevalent amongst the offending community."

By Nick Martin , people and politics correspondent

A loud crash jolts Paul Wheeler into waking up in the middle of the night.

As he peers out of his bedroom window, which overlooks the park at the back of his home in a quiet, suburban part of Kent, he sees a shadowy figure setting fire to something.

It's a warm summer night, Labour is celebrating its landslide election win. For the first time in 14 years, there is a new government in place, which has made big promises on crime.

As the flames rage close to his garden fence, Paul, 46, starts to film the drama unfolding outside his home, while his two children sleep soundly in the next room.

"You need to ring 999 right now," he tells his wife. "People are setting light to something right by the gate at the front of the park."

Then there's an explosion and smoke fills the air.

For the last four years, gangs of mainly teenagers have caused trouble in the park behind Paul's house, terrorising him and his neighbours. He pleaded with the council to install CCTV but his request was turned down.

The next morning, the charred remains of a motorbike lie at the park entrance. The gate is damaged and the ground is covered in debris including bits of wire, nuts and bolts. The flames have turned the leaves of a large tree a rusty brown.

Paul's experience mirrors that of thousands of other communities around Britain who say their concerns about anti-social behaviour, which includes anything from vandalism to public drunkenness and noise disturbances, aren't being taken seriously by police and local councils.

Read the full story here:

That concludes tonight's edition of Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge .

Scroll down for all the key moments from tonight's interviews, and analysis of the latest events in UK politics.

Next, we ask Lord Tony Sewell if the riots across Britain this summer were racist.

He replies: "There's no doubt about it - somebody barricading people in a hotel who are from a particular group, and that had a racial motive? Of course it did.

"However, you have to also ask yourself the question, why were there protests from a particular group and from a particular geographical area in England?"

He criticises politicians for using the term "far-right" as a blanket descriptor, saying there are "probably white people listening to this programme now who have got serious concerns that there are low incomes going to poor schools, they've got the worst outcomes in health, and also the issue of migration".

Those people would probably hate those rioting more than anyone, he argues.

But because we are "not listening to people", we have "allowed these other groups to come in and take charge", he adds.

Lord Sewell calls on Sir Keir Starmer to read his report, saying: "Stop being ideological about it."

On history education, he criticises Labour, saying: "You can't end up with an education system that makes white kids feel totally ashamed, and they've got nothing to do with that colonialism, and makes black children feel in a sense that because of that past, they lose their confidence."

On Tory politics, Lord Sewell reveals that he is backing Kemi Badenoch for leader because she "really championed" his 2022 report, calling for a "unified Britain, not a diversified Britain".

Lord Tony Sewell is the next guest on tonight's Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge , and we start by asking about the controversy surrounding a 2022 report in which he said Britain is not institutionally racist.

He says he wants to "dispel a myth", and clarifies that "institutional racism wasn't really defined", and so they used their "own framework" to assess racial disparities in Britain.

They found that "racism does exist", but looking at the data, the white working class struggled the most.

"If you're looking at, really, the issues in education and employment and health, the numbers showed that, in fact, white groups were doing worse than any other ethnic group," he says.

"The more interesting thing was there were greater disparities between ethnic minorities within that than they were between white and black."

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What We Know About Kamala Harris’s $5 Trillion Tax Plan So Far

The vice president supports the tax increases proposed by the Biden White House, according to her campaign.

• Share full article

By Andrew Duehren

Reporting from Washington

In a campaign otherwise light on policy specifics, Vice President Kamala Harris this week quietly rolled out her most detailed, far-ranging proposal yet: nearly $5 trillion in tax increases over a decade.

That’s how much more revenue the federal government would raise if it adopted a number of tax increases that President Biden proposed in the spring . Ms. Harris’s campaign said this week that she supported those tax hikes, which were thoroughly laid out in the most recent federal budget plan prepared by the Biden administration.

No one making less than $400,000 a year would see their taxes go up under the plan. Instead, Ms. Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations. Congress has previously rejected many of these tax ideas, even when Democrats controlled both chambers.

While tax policy is right now a subplot in a turbulent presidential campaign, it will be a primary policy issue in Washington next year. The next president will have to work with Congress to address the tax cuts Donald J. Trump signed into law in 2017. Many of those tax cuts expire after 2025, meaning millions of Americans will see their taxes go up if lawmakers don’t reach a deal next year.

Here’s an overview of what we now know — and still don’t know — about the Democratic nominee’s views on taxes.

Higher taxes on corporations

The most recent White House budget includes several proposals that would raise taxes on large corporations . Chief among them is raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent, a step that the Treasury Department estimated could bring in $1.3 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years.

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