One Nation, by Ben Carson: on Education


Ben Carson: When you educate a man, you liberate a man

I'm very passionate about education because it made such a big difference in my life. But here we are at a time in the world--the information age, the age of technology--and yet 30% of people who enter high school in this country do not graduate. 44% of people who start a 4-year college program do not finish it in 4 years. What is that about? Think back to a darker time in our history. 200 years ago when slavery was going on it was illegal to educate a slave, particularly to teach them to read. Why do you think that was? Because when you educate a man, you liberate a man. And there I was as a youngster placing myself in the same situation that a horrible institution did because I wasn't taking advantage of the education. Now, admittedly, it was a bad environment. But I had a mother who believed in me. And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said, "Do you have a brain?" And if the answer was yes, then she said, "Then you could have thought your way out of it."
Source: One Nation, by Dr. Ben Carson, on National Prayer Breakfast May 20, 2014

Ben Carson: College grads today fail a 6th-grade test from the 1800s

If you really want to be impressed, take a look at the chapter on education in my latest book, America the Beautiful, which I wrote with my wife--it came out last year, and in that education chapter you will see questions extracted from a sixth-grade exit exam from the 1800s--a test you had to pass to get your sixth-grade certificate. I doubt most college graduates today could pass that test. We have dumbed things down to that level. And the reason that is so dangerous is because the people who founded this nation said that our system of government was designed for a well-informed and educated populace. And when they become less informed, they become vulnerable. That is why education is so vitally important.
Source: One Nation, by Dr. Ben Carson, on National Prayer Breakfast May 20, 2014

  • The above quotations are from One Nation
    What We Can All Do to Save America's Future
    by Ben Carson.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Education.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Ben Carson on Education.
2016 Presidential contenders on Education:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Feb 20, 2019