--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In America, we started the public school…" description: "\"In America, we started the public school system very early in the century, and as a consequence we had more skilled workers than any nation on Earth, w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fea/barack-obama-17_america_in-america-we-started-the-public-school_977213.jpg" --- # In America, we started the public school system very early… ![“In America, we started the public school system very early in the century, and as a consequence we had more skilled workers than any nation on Earth, which meant that we were more productive than any nation on Earth.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fea/barack-obama-17_america_in-america-we-started-the-public-school_977213.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fea/barack-obama-17_america_in-america-we-started-the-public-school_977213.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fea/barack-obama-17_america_in-america-we-started-the-public-school_977213.jpg) > “In America, we started the public school system very early in the century, and as a consequence we had more skilled workers than any nation on Earth, which meant that we were more productive than any nation on Earth.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early public schooling created a skilled workforce, giving the U.S. a productivity edge over other nations. **In simple terms:** Early schools boost national productivity. Key Takeaway Invest in early education. Themes education economics national development Mood optimistic inspirational Type policy economic When to use this quote - policy planning - business strategy - career counseling Key Concepts human capital productivity comparative advantage Questions to Reflect On - What policies can sustain skill growth today? - How does education affect economic inequality? A Different Perspective Other factors like technology also drive productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Public school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-system/) [Skilled workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skilled-workers/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [“Jews have been the most successful and productive nation in history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-charles/jews-have-been-the-most-successful-and-productive-nation-in-history/) [H.W. Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-charles/) > [African American boys oftentimes fall behind in school early, start feeling discouraged, check out, drop out, end up on the streets and then get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/african-american-boys-oftentimes-fall-behind-in-school-early-start/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Before the Beatles, America was musically a very conservative country. You can see film footage of people at a baseball game, they all had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/before-the-beatles-america-was-musically-a-very-conservative-country/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > ['Naked' propelled me into a whole other league. America started calling. I went over to Los Angeles and met all those people, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/naked-propelled-me-into-a-whole-other-league-america-started-calling/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/what-s-great-about-this-country-is-that-america-started-the-tradition-2/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Everybody in America started to define themselves by all these things they had around them. And all of a sudden it came tumbling down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/everybody-in-america-started-to-define-themselves-by-all-these-things/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [Growing up, I remember my parents feeling a little wary of 'The Simpsons.' This was the late eighties, and there was a wave of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/growing-up-i-remember-my-parents-feeling-a-little-wary-of-the/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“There was his father, looking totally different but exactly the same. “Hey, son,” his dad said, his voice bending in that weird way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/there-was-his-father-looking-totally-different-but-exactly-the-same/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-read-in-the-newspapers-they-are-going-to-have-30-minutes-of/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [In 1986, human nature in America started to change. 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I think that's something we really have to pay attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-mentioned-charter-schools-and-experimenting-with-our-school-system/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I graduated high school early, and I moved to New York before I even knew I was going to college or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-evans/i-graduated-high-school-early-and-i-moved-to-new-york-before-i-even/) [Scott Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-evans/) > [I left high school very early. I was 17. So I guess it wasn't that early, but I did not get a high school education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/i-left-high-school-very-early-i-was-17-so-i-guess-it-wasn-t-that/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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