This quote tends to highlight the importance of education as an essential human virtue, a necessity for society, a sign for freedom and development and a basis for superiority, happiness and success. Throughout history, education has remained the only institution through which man guided his destiny and shaped his successful future. Education is a big source of evolution that has passed through many stages of mankind and reached the present age of science and technology. Therefore, if the importance of education could not be denied in those earlier times, then how would be it possible to strive for a better future without being in touch with education?
As Bacon says “Reading maketh a full man; writing an exact man and conference a ready man.” And if someone asks what reading, writing and conference make together, anyone would say that all of them stand for Education. In other words, we can say that education makes anyone complete, accurate and worldly wise. It means that no one is complete without education.
Keeping in view the present situation of Pakistan, national, political, individual or any sort of achievement is not possible with the current status of education in this country. The literacy rate is far below the requirements and is not enough to compete in such a fast paced environment. The only solution in all the hidden problems of the nation lies only in proper education which is not yet available to all the sectors and citizens of the society at large. Education is a controlling grace to the young, consolation to the old, wealth to the poor and ornament to the rich. Any nation would be devoid of any progress, if its citizens fail to have the benefits of education. H.L. Wayland has correctly said, “Universal suffrage, without universal education, would be a curse.”
Education liberates a man’s mind from wrong thinking, ignorance, superstitions and prejudices. It frees him from evil influences and vices. It equips him with knowledge and skill, enabling him to make a good living, culminating in his being an ideal citizen. With the spread of education, gone are the days of bonded labor, economic slavery, pangs on account of being an untouchable and being misled by black magic. Thus it can be boldly claimed that education has awakened the masses all over the world.
The importance of education in being the master key to all the successes and developments also lies in the following saying by Aristotle:
"Educated men are as much superior to uneducated as the living are to the dead."
Hence, it proves that education is a sign of superiority, not just for a single individual but for the nation as a whole. If we look back and explore the history, it can be easily revealed that the nations which got the supreme positions in society were comprised of educated people. Therefore, if we want to succeed and make our country a better one, we need to grant special focus on the status of education since it is the only tool, the only hope and anticipation for a country left far behind in the global world. As it has been said,
“Next in importance to freedom and justice is education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.” (James A. Garfield)