EMG Quote of the Week – Education is the Foundation

Education is the foundation for a better future! Lincoln understood the impact of educating youth. Nelson Mandela also understood the use of education as the most powerful tool in the world – the pen being mightier than the sword so to speak. By changing someone’s perspective in small things first, this can lead to the bigger ideas. From here you encourage young people to be active not passive – to be informed not just consumers – to be participants of change rather than just being promoters of the status quo. Developing critical thinking skills and analysis is not just a 21st Century skill that is important just for school and for when students leave school. It is important to influence change and be global citizens with global hearts and global minds – thinking beyond this current situation and popular views of “Me-ism”, where everything revolves around them and see how they can influence the world. Another US president actually sums this idea up quite well of thinking outside of just thinking about yourself. To paraphrase it – “Ask not what the world can do for you, but can you do for your world?” Indeed, we want to create global citizens who are active and think big and have a heart that is big for the world – regardless of where they are, what their circumstance is, what they look like, who they follow. Imagine the impact this would have on the world if we encouraged our students to think big, to dream big and impact the world in a positive way on a big scale! The result would be revolutionary.

Here’s the challenge – What are your students dreams of their world? How are they going to be active in pursuit of this? It’s all good to have dreams, but dreams without action simply stay as dreams!

For more quotes of the week, keep an eye on #EMG_Quoteoftheweek!

Written by Michael Dunn – EMG Consultant and Primary Teacher