25 Education Quotes That Inspire a Love of Learning

Knowledge is power! And the key to a fulfilling life. So get inspired with these wise quotes about the power of education. These sayings capture the priceless value of education and how its influence can touch lives.

Let freedom ring

Frederick Douglass was one of America’s greatest writers and thinkers, despite the fact he was born into slavery, a system that forbade reading. He knew that once you learn to read, you’ve accessed knowledge—and especially how to communicate that knowledge and pass it on. His classic treatise on freedom, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is still read today. If you like these learning quotes, don’t miss these simple ways you can instill a love of reading in your kids.


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Foolish mortals

Ever the more ironic because spoken by the court jester, Shakespeare’s words point toward the infinite qualities of knowledge. You could spend your whole life studying and still, there are so many topics where you’ll never scratch the surface. Shakespeare points out how wise it is to keep that in mind. Check out these secrets teachers know about kids.



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Think for yourself

The English philosopher Locke believed strongly in education; his ideas on government influenced the founding fathers. Here he is advocating not for rote memorization, but for the student to think critically. True knowledge requires the reader to contemplate what they’ve read. Here are 10 things that’ll make your kids love learning, in addition to these wonderful learning quotes.



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Aim high

Horace Mann was an American abolitionist and major advocate for public education. He believed that education was the “great equalizer,” capable of making society fair and balanced. Don’t miss the joys of reading kid’s books through grown-up eyes.



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Any questions?

Helen Keller was remarkable for refusing limitations. Though she was blind and deaf, she became a prominent American writer and thinker, in part through the help of her devoted teacher, Anne Sullivan. Keller also believed that the best result of education was learning tolerance.



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School’s out

Albert Einstein wasn’t anti-education. He was an advocate for independent and original thought. School provides the foundation, but after that, the student needs to discover the important parts on his own. That’s the education that remains.



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Character study

Great reverend doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. knew that critical thinking is the path to character. He advocated for civil rights and equality because he knew that the source of racism was ignorance.



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Life path

Mark Twain lays it out: The more you know, the more you have to face, and that can seem overwhelming. But it beats ignorance any day.



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Invest in your future

Take it from the beloved former first lady, Michelle Obama. Education matters. Take it seriously and have the discipline and confidence to carry forward to the end. As all great moms put it, “you have to.” And it’s worth it.



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Child’s play

The famed American anthropologist, Margaret Mead, knew that thinking is a skill in itself. Children need help developing independence in thought and mind. Mead herself was fearless and outspoken as an advocate for loosening cultural and societal mores.



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Free rein

The best teachers provide the foundation, but they know that to truly take off you have to figure it out all by yourself. But you couldn’t have done it without their instructions. Don’t miss these quotes that prove teachers make the best mentors.



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Dress up

Esteemed playwright Oscar Wilde was famous for his wit and humor, even in the face of social persecution. However you feel about fancy outfits, you know he’s right about education: There’s no such thing as having finally learned too much.



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Yours to keep

The renowned blues musician and guitar virtuoso B.B. King knew that learning would last. He was a great advocate for education and believed it offered hope to underprivileged youth.



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Bein’ Green

Jim Henson, master muppeteer and Sesame Street cast member who brought Kermit the Frog to the world knew about the power of inspiration. He recognized that kids need more than just info and instruction. They need adults who are safe and reliable and who they can depend on for all the great lessons—like what brings joy and how to love yourself.



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See the world

Journalist Lisa Ling knows how important it is to get out of your own backyard. She’s famous for her travel reporting, throughout the world and in America. She also wrote a book about her harrowing capture and release from North Korea in 2009 while reporting on refugees on the border.



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Girl power

Jane Austen wrote her novels, all celebrated masterpieces, during the turn of the eighteenth century in England. It was a time when women couldn’t earn money, inherit property, or get a proper education. Austen had access to several libraries where she educated herself—but her genius was not recognized during her lifetime.



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Teachers rule

The pop musician of hits like “Against All Odds,” “take a look at me no-o-oow,” gives it to you straight. Learning doesn’t go one way. There are gifts in being on both sides. You can’t teach without learning something new. Your students provide all kinds of lessons. And a major part of learning is teaching yourself as well as others. If you love these learning quotes, check out these 15 powerful reasons why teachers love their job.



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Open doors

Spark’s famous novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, was adapted into a Broadway play and film. Spark illuminates the relationship between an innovative teacher and her coming-of-age students at a girl’s school. Miss Brodie seeks to inspire and empower her students. They’re all trapped in the repressive culture of 1930s Scotland, but their teacher is determined to unleash their inner sparks.



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Live out loud

The famous and popular astrophysicist, Neil Degrasse Tyson, shoots straight. Education doesn’t only mean learning rules and following them. It has to be about freedom, experimentation and allowing originality and independence to flourish.



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Rise from failure

The German writer Goethe points out that failure is a necessary part of learning. Mistakes and missteps litter the path to knowledge. Your blunders are a part of your enlightenment—in fact, they light the path to get better.



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Book club

Face it, books are awesome. Lincoln’s advice is to recognize the value of reading and pay it some due. Don’t skim. Don’t read the last page and shut the cover. Linger in books. There’s a bunch of ways to learn, but you can’t beat reading as the one with the most power.



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Go your own way

Competition doesn’t belong around knowledge. Education isn’t about being the best or beating anyone else, according to one of the learning quotes from Jiddu Krishnamurti. At its core, learning is a process that you have with yourself. No winners or losers. Only the attainment of knowledge and a process that keeps going.



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Worth the cost

The comedy writer and magician, Robert Orben, hits the nail on the head. No matter the costs, education is worth it. Its value can’t be calculated—but the alternative? We already know how devastating it is when we don’t nurture minds and knowledge or value education.



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Be the change

Listen to the wisdom of the inspiring activist Nelson Mandela. You change the world with your light and focus, but the best weapon for conflict is knowledge and education. The right kind of weapon is one that brings peace. Learn the brainy habits of exceptionally wise people.



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Nurture learning

Bronte wrote these powerful words in her classic novel, Jane Eyre. Prejudice and ignorance wither if they’re exposed to light and learning. Ignorance is the only thing that allows intolerance to flourish. Now that you know these learning quotes, read even more inspirational quotes about teaching.



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Source: Reader’s Digest


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