Bigger and better Quote by Ben Sasse
““If a free people is going to be reproduced, it will require watering and revivifying and owning anew older traditions and awaking the curiosity in the soul of each citizen. National greatness will not be recovered via a mindless expansion of bureaucratized schooling. Seventy years ago, Dorothy Sayers wrote, 'Sure, we demand another grant of money, we postpone the school leaving age and plan to build bigger and better schools. We demand that teachers further slave conscientiously in and out of school hours. But to what end? I believe,' Sayers lamented, 'all this devoted effort is largely frustrated because we have no definable goal for each child to become a fully formed adult. We have lost the tools of learning, sacrificing them to the piecemeal, subject matter approach of bureaucratized schooling that finally compromises to produce passive rather than active emerging adults. But our kids are not commodities, they are plants. They require a protected environment, and care, and feeding, but most basically, an internal yearning to grow toward the sunlight. What we need is the equipping of each child with those lost tools.””
About This Quote
The quote argues that true freedom and national vitality depend on revitalizing traditions and fostering individual curiosity, rather than expanding bureaucratic education that treats children as commodities.
In simple terms: Revitalize tradition, nurture curiosity, avoid bureaucratic schooling.
Key Takeaway
Education must nurture active, fully formed adults.
Themes
education reform
civic renewal
individual autonomy
tradition vs modernity
critical thinking
Mood
hopeful
critical
Type
philosophical
policy critique
When to use this quote
- designing curricula that prioritize critical thinking
- reforming school policies to focus on holistic development
- creating community programs that connect youth with cultural traditions
- addressing passive learning in standardized testing environments
Key Concepts
learning tools
student agency
bureaucracy
cultural heritage
Practical Applications
- curriculum redesign
- teacher professional development
Questions to Reflect On
- How can schools balance tradition with innovation?
- What metrics would indicate a child’s growth toward active adulthood?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that standardized curricula ensure baseline competencies and equity across diverse populations, which the quote downplays.
