--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children themselves know they are being…" description: "\"Children themselves know they are being cheated. Ultimately we owe it to our children. They are in school for 190 days a year. Every moment they spend ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/michael-gove-7057_blight_children-themselves-know-they-are-being_1557934.jpg" --- # Children themselves know they are being cheated… ![“Children themselves know they are being cheated. Ultimately we owe it to our children. They are in school for 190 days a year. Every moment they spend learning is precious. If a year goes by and they are not being stretched and excited, that blights their life.” quote by Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/michael-gove-7057_blight_children-themselves-know-they-are-being_1557934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/michael-gove-7057_blight_children-themselves-know-they-are-being_1557934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/michael-gove-7057_blight_children-themselves-know-they-are-being_1557934.jpg) > “Children themselves know they are being cheated. Ultimately we owe it to our children. They are in school for 190 days a year. Every moment they spend learning is precious. If a year goes by and they are not being stretched and excited, that blights their life.” [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children sense when education fails them; we must make every school day valuable and stimulating to avoid harming their future. **In simple terms:** Kids notice poor schooling; we must keep learning exciting. Key Takeaway Make each school day engaging. Themes education child development quality Mood concerned optimistic Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - classroom teaching - lesson planning - school policy - parent-teacher meetings Key Concepts pedagogy motivation curriculum design Questions to Reflect On - How can schools balance depth and breadth? - What methods keep students consistently motivated? A Different Perspective Limited resources can restrict ability to constantly stretch and excite every student. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [Know this, if someone has cheated on you who truly loves you, they have hurt themselves as much as they have hurt you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/know-this-if-someone-has-cheated-on-you-who-truly-loves-you-they-have/) [Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/) > [That painful moment when you get to know you have been cheated on...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-painful-moment-when-you-get-to-know-you-have-been-cheated-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the problems we have is children are not in school long enough in the day and during the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/one-of-the-problems-we-have-is-children-are-not-in-school-long-enough/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [It's time to get past our racial differences. We owe it to our children to help them keep their clean start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bridges/it-s-time-to-get-past-our-racial-differences-we-owe-it-to-our/) [Ruby Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bridges/) > [We owe it to our children to be better stewards of the environment. The alternative? - a world without whales. It's too terrible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/we-owe-it-to-our-children-to-be-better-stewards-of-the-environment/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [We owe it to our children to give them a dignified and hopeful future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-owe-it-to-our-children-to-give-them-a-dignified-and-hopeful-future/) [Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/) > [All of us have to recognize that we owe our children more than we have been giving them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/all-of-us-have-to-recognize-that-we-owe-our-children-more-than-we/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I believe we owe it to our children and grandchildren to stay engaged and to help spread liberty and to help reformers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-believe-we-owe-it-to-our-children-and-grandchildren-to-stay-engaged/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Above all, we owe it to the children of the world to stop the conflicts and to create new horizons for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-w-de-klerk/above-all-we-owe-it-to-the-children-of-the-world-to-stop-the/) [F. W. de Klerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-w-de-klerk/) > [There is a lot of room for improvement in Social Security. We owe our children the most financially sound system possible. They will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/there-is-a-lot-of-room-for-improvement-in-social-security-we-owe-our/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [If there is any one duty which more than another we owe it to our children and our children's children to perform at once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-there-is-any-one-duty-which-more-than-another-we-owe-it-to-our/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [We owe our children an environment in which they can flourish, and where law enforcement, the justice system, and society as offers them a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/we-owe-our-children-an-environment-in-which-they-can-flourish-and/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-owe-our-children-the-most-vulnerable-citizens-in-any-society-a/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We owe it to our children to be honest about the world and to provide them with material written specially for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/we-owe-it-to-our-children-to-be-honest-about-the-world-and-to-provide/) [Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/) > [I owe it to my children to secure their future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-owe-it-to-my-children-to-secure-their-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Gove > [You know, you don't see hospital consultants going on strike, and I don't believe that teachers and headteachers should. It's within their rights, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/you-know-you-don-t-see-hospital-consultants-going-on-strike-and-i-don/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [If we leave the European Union, yes there will be bumps in the road, inevitably, but we will be in a better position to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/if-we-leave-the-european-union-yes-there-will-be-bumps-in-the-road/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [The common fisheries policy unfortunately led to the devastation of fishing in Scotland. My dad had to close his business. As a result something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/the-common-fisheries-policy-unfortunately-led-to-the-devastation-of/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Ever since going up to university, I have accumulated new debt, and new means of becoming indebted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/ever-since-going-up-to-university-i-have-accumulated-new-debt-and-new/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [I will take all the steps necessary to give the NHS at least another £100million per week by 2020.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/i-will-take-all-the-steps-necessary-to-give-the-nhs-at-least-another/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Labor, under their current leadership, want to be the Downtown Abbey party when it comes to educational opportunity. They think working class children should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/labor-under-their-current-leadership-want-to-be-the-downtown-abbey/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [With the single exception of Park Lane, every north-south route in London slows traffic to the pace of a wounded gnat with pleurisy struggling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/with-the-single-exception-of-park-lane-every-north-south-route-in/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [The British people rejected politics as usual and government as usual. They want and need a new approach to running this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/the-british-people-rejected-politics-as-usual-and-government-as-usual/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Children in dysfunctional homes at risk of abuse are kept in danger for too long because politically correct rules mean we won't challenge unfit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/children-in-dysfunctional-homes-at-risk-of-abuse-are-kept-in-danger/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Adopting means opening your home, and heart, to a life you've never known. But there is nothing as richly rewarding as being an adoptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/adopting-means-opening-your-home-and-heart-to-a-life-you-ve-never/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [The challenges facing Britain required not just a cool head, but a heart burning with the desire for change - not business as usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/the-challenges-facing-britain-required-not-just-a-cool-head-but-a/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Now that Britain has voted to leave, I think the country deserves to have a leader who believes in Britain outside the European Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/now-that-britain-has-voted-to-leave-i-think-the-country-deserves-to/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Why ... do the myths of America the Hateful take such powerful hold? Because anti-Americanism provides a useful emotional function which goes beyond logic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/why-do-the-myths-of-america-the-hateful-take-such-powerful-hold/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Teachers themselves know if there's a colleague who can't keep control or keep the interest of their class, it affects the whole school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/teachers-themselves-know-if-there-s-a-colleague-who-can-t-keep/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [One of the things I know about the European Union is that the European Union can destroy jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/one-of-the-things-i-know-about-the-european-union-is-that-the/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) [Explore all 95 Michael Gove quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) ## More Blight quotes > [Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism and trivial learning. 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Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) > [Are some free fonts a gift to humanity rather than a blight on typographic civilization ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-lupton/are-some-free-fonts-a-gift-to-humanity-rather-than-a-blight-on/) [Ellen Lupton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-lupton/) > [“John Mitchel’s famous declaration that God sent the blight but the English created the Famine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pat-coogan/john-mitchel-s-famous-declaration-that-god-sent-the-blight-but-the/) Tim Pat Coogan > [Humans have grown like a cancer. We're the biggest blight on the face of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/humans-have-grown-like-a-cancer-we-re-the-biggest-blight-on-the-face/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring, or a blight in Summer, and they fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/it-is-ever-so-with-the-things-that-men-begin-there-is-a-frost-in/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [There's a segment of this world, there's a mind state that's permeated the intellectual consciousness of this world that comes from a certain type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/there-s-a-segment-of-this-world-there-s-a-mind-state-that-s-permeated/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [The blight of futility that lies in wait for men's speeches had fallen upon our conversation and made it a thing of empty sounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-blight-of-futility-that-lies-in-wait-for-men-s-speeches-had/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/once-to-every-man-and-nation-comes-the-moment-to-decide/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Long time a child, and still a child, when years Had painted manhood on my cheek, was I; For yet I lived like one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hartley-coleridge/long-time-a-child-and-still-a-child-when-years-had-painted-manhood-on/) [Hartley Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hartley-coleridge/) > [As frost to the bud, and blight to the blossom, even such is self-interest to friendship; for confidence cannot dwell where selfishness is porter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-farquhar-tupper/as-frost-to-the-bud-and-blight-to-the-blossom-even-such-is-self/) [Martin Farquhar Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-farquhar-tupper/) > [So: if the chronic inflation undergone by Americans, and in almost every other country, is caused by the continuing creation of new money, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/so-if-the-chronic-inflation-undergone-by-americans-and-in-almost/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [How unthinkable that, in a country of such bursting plenty, so many people are facing ongoing hunger and poverty. 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