---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Regarding African education in this…"
description: "\"Regarding African education in this country, there was a time when the government took no interest whatsoever in African education. It was the churches..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/nelson-mandela-248_built_regarding-african-education-in-this-coun_712261.jpg"
---

#  Regarding African education in this country, there was a…

![“Regarding African education in this country, there was a time when the government took no interest whatsoever in African education. It was the churches, that part of civil society, which bought land, built schools, and employed and paid teachers. People like myself, right from grade eight up to…” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/nelson-mandela-248_built_regarding-african-education-in-this-coun_712261.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/nelson-mandela-248_built_regarding-african-education-in-this-coun_712261.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1de/nelson-mandela-248_built_regarding-african-education-in-this-coun_712261.jpg)

> “Regarding African education in this country, there was a time when the government took no interest whatsoever in African education. It was the churches, that part of civil society, which bought land, built schools, and employed and paid teachers. People like myself, right from grade eight up to university, I was in missionary schools.”

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Education for Africans relied on churches when government ignored it, highlighting civil society’s role.

**In simple terms:** Churches filled the education gap.

Key Takeaway

Support community‑driven schooling.

Themes

education civil society inequality

Mood

concerned hopeful

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- rural schools
- policy reform
- NGO partnerships

Key Concepts

Social justice grassroots activism

Questions to Reflect On

- What can modern governments learn from this history?
- How can NGOs sustain long‑term impact?

A Different Perspective

Government neglect can persist despite community efforts.

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[Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Civil society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-society/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Missionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missionary/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/)

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