--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We sometimes forget how fortunate we are…" description: "\"We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence of our higher education system being a good example.\" — Gavin Williamson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg" --- # We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence… ![“We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence of our higher education system being a good example.” quote by Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg) > “We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence of our higher education system being a good example.” [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He highlights the often‑overlooked benefits of higher education. **In simple terms:** We forget how good education is. Key Takeaway Recognize and support education. Themes education gratitude awareness Mood hopeful concerned Type political reflective When to use this quote - policy making - student advocacy - curriculum design Key Concepts public policy social equity Questions to Reflect On - What can individuals do to improve education? - How do we measure educational excellence? A Different Perspective Systemic issues can diminish those benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-system/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Higher Ed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ed/) [Higher education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-education/) ## Related quotes > [In today's global economy, however, it is important to raise the bar of excellence even higher. Today's students must be prepared to compete effectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-marchant/in-today-s-global-economy-however-it-is-important-to-raise-the-bar-of/) [Kenny Marchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-marchant/) > [“She said that perhaps it was not so easy to be very rich; that if any one had so many things always, one might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/she-said-that-perhaps-it-was-not-so-easy-to-be-very-rich-that-if-any/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [There is a time we all forget about the less fortunate. They have no one and we have to say hi one day maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/there-is-a-time-we-all-forget-about-the-less-fortunate-they-have-no/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [There was a time when bright people had few prospects for higher education and good jobs here. But that is changing. India is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/there-was-a-time-when-bright-people-had-few-prospects-for-higher/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [Scientific research and other studies have demonstrated that arts education can enhance American students' math and language skills and improve test scores which in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thad-cochran/scientific-research-and-other-studies-have-demonstrated-that-arts/) [Thad Cochran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thad-cochran/) > [With Michigan's economic future on the line, we can't afford to have our 500 local school districts marching in different directions. Instead, we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/with-michigan-s-economic-future-on-the-line-we-can-t-afford-to-have/) [Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/) > [The problem is that we are trying to prepare people for the new economy using a higher education system built for the old economy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-problem-is-that-we-are-trying-to-prepare-people-for-the-new/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Starting in high school and continuing through our higher education system, we must ensure our students are on the right path to acquiring marketable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-mccrory/starting-in-high-school-and-continuing-through-our-higher-education/) Pat McCrory > [The higher education system in these countries (US, Korea etc) has become like a theatre in which some people decided to stand to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/the-higher-education-system-in-these-countries-us-korea-etc-has/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The challenge is to replace our broken higher education system with one that has the potential to transform the lives of individuals and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/the-challenge-is-to-replace-our-broken-higher-education-system-with/) [Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/) > [Our higher education system is controlled by what amounts to a cartel of existing colleges and universities, which use their power over the accreditation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-higher-education-system-is-controlled-by-what-amounts-to-a-cartel/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [ Refinancing won't fix everything that's broken with our \[American\] higher education system. We've got to bring down the cost of college. And we need… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/refinancing-won-t-fix-everything-that-s-broken-with-our-american/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Wishful thinking did not give Oregonians the bottle bill. Wishful thinking did not give the public access to beaches. Nor can we expect wishful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/wishful-thinking-did-not-give-oregonians-the-bottle-bill-wishful/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [Because if you don't have a great workforce, a great higher education system, you're not going to have the next eBay, the next AmGen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-whitman/because-if-you-don-t-have-a-great-workforce-a-great-higher-education/) [Meg Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-whitman/) > [Our higher education system is broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/our-higher-education-system-is-broken/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) ## More by Gavin Williamson > [Free speech underpins our democratic society and our universities have a long and proud history of being places where students and academics can express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/free-speech-underpins-our-democratic-society-and-our-universities/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [I will continue to put the safety and wellbeing of pupils, students and staff at the heart of all decision making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/i-will-continue-to-put-the-safety-and-wellbeing-of-pupils-students/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [All schools should provide a safe learning environment, and everyone in them should be able to go about their business without fear of intimidation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/all-schools-should-provide-a-safe-learning-environment-and-everyone/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [I always think about my friends who I went to school, college and university with and I know for so many of them school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/i-always-think-about-my-friends-who-i-went-to-school-college-and/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Outside the classroom, the use of mobile phones distracts from healthy exercise and good old-fashioned play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/outside-the-classroom-the-use-of-mobile-phones-distracts-from-healthy/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Labour's frankly dangerous plan to scrap Ofsted would see children less safe. Their policy of abolishing all primary assessments would remove accountability. Their abolition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/labour-s-frankly-dangerous-plan-to-scrap-ofsted-would-see-children/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Our teachers are incredibly hardworking and dedicated professionals. Having to deal with unruly pupils and disruption on a daily basis adds to their workload…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/our-teachers-are-incredibly-hardworking-and-dedicated-professionals/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [I remain optimistic that with the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, 2021 will be the year we overcome coronavirus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/i-remain-optimistic-that-with-the-roll-out-of-the-covid-19-vaccine/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Rather than manufacturing offences from the past, let us instead come together to tackle injustice and promote equality for students and staff today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/rather-than-manufacturing-offences-from-the-past-let-us-instead-come/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Ultimately I want to see all the regions in this country have a specialist maths school, I want every big city to have at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/ultimately-i-want-to-see-all-the-regions-in-this-country-have-a/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Not every pupil has a laptop and not every family has Internet access.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/not-every-pupil-has-a-laptop-and-not-every-family-has-internet-access/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Astonishingly, I am only the second Education Secretary to have gone to a comprehensive but I can tell you, it doesn't matter what kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/astonishingly-i-am-only-the-second-education-secretary-to-have-gone/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Coming from a Labour-voting family, I grew up with a clear understanding of the tribal nature of Labour politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/coming-from-a-labour-voting-family-i-grew-up-with-a-clear/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [Some people know from an early age that they want to go to university. It's part of their plan for life; a given. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/some-people-know-from-an-early-age-that-they-want-to-go-to-university/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) > [It is a grave mistake for any Prime Minister to fail to recognise when a plan will not work and it is fatal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/it-is-a-grave-mistake-for-any-prime-minister-to-fail-to-recognise/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) [Explore all 100 Gavin Williamson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence of our higher education system being a good example.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gavin Williamson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are-the-excellence-of-our-higher/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are-the-excellence-of-our-higher/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/gavin-williamson-5676_education_we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are_1737187.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We sometimes forget how fortunate we are - the excellence of our higher education system being a good example.” — Gavin Williamson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gavin Williamson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We sometimes forget how fortunate we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are-the-excellence-of-our-higher/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/we-sometimes-forget-how-fortunate-we-are-the-excellence-of-our-higher/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```