--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Education is not to reform students or…" description: "\"Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/robert-m-hutchins-15892_education_education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-a_931585.png" --- # Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to… ![“Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible.” quote by Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/robert-m-hutchins-15892_education_education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-a_931585.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/robert-m-hutchins-15892_education_education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-a_931585.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/robert-m-hutchins-15892_education_education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-a_931585.png) > “Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible.” [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should provoke critical thinking, broaden perspectives, and ignite intellectual passion rather than merely train technical skills. **In simple terms:** Education must spark curiosity and critical thought. Key Takeaway Encourage questioning and broad learning. Themes education critical thinking intellectual growth curiosity holistic learning Mood inspired thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - classroom teaching - curriculum design - student mentorship - policy reform Key Concepts Pedagogy philosophy of education intellectual development Questions to Reflect On - How can curricula balance critical inquiry with vocational training? - What methods best stir intellectual curiosity? A Different Perspective May overlook practical skill needs in a job market. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-reform/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [My view of university training is to unsettle the minds of young men, to widen their horizons, to inflame their intellects. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m/my-view-of-university-training-is-to-unsettle-the-minds-of-young-men/) Robert M > [It's the questions we can't answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-the-questions-we-can-t-answer-that-teach-us-the-most-they-teach/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Science can teach us, and I think our own hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-can-teach-us-and-i-think-our-own-hearts-can-teach-us-no/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The rules within the educational system really teach you not push the boundaries, or not to think outside the box. They teach you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-williams/the-rules-within-the-educational-system-really-teach-you-not-push-the/) [Jay Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-williams/) > [Don't ever let anybody teach you to think; it is the curse of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-h-white-2/don-t-ever-let-anybody-teach-you-to-think-it-is-the-curse-of-the-world/) Theodore H White > [I think I just pick really smart and motivated people to work with - people who are probably going to do great things anyway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/i-think-i-just-pick-really-smart-and-motivated-people-to-work-with/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [“I teach the kids history, or quantum physics, or art – but above all I try to teach them to think for themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-teach-the-kids-history-or-quantum-physics-or-art-but-above-all-i/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Some kind of philosophy undergirds every movie, commercial, lecture, or book. Everything we take into our minds is trying to teach us something about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-morrison/some-kind-of-philosophy-undergirds-every-movie-commercial-lecture-or/) [Jon Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-morrison/) > [It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts... it is to teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-must-be-remembered-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-fill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We prepare our students for jobs and careers, but we don't teach them to think as individuals about what kind of world they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/we-prepare-our-students-for-jobs-and-careers-but-we-don-t-teach-them/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“He doesn't teach you what to think. He teaches you how to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lurlene-mcdaniel/he-doesn-t-teach-you-what-to-think-he-teaches-you-how-to-think/) [Lurlene McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lurlene-mcdaniel/) > [Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-not-indoctrinate-your-children-teach-them-how-to-think-for/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Teach him to think for himself? Oh, my God, teach him rather to think like other people!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teach-him-to-think-for-himself-oh-my-god-teach-him-rather-to-think/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A true teacher doesn't teach you to think like him, but to think without him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/a-true-teacher-doesn-t-teach-you-to-think-like-him-but-to-think/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [“The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, rather than what to think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-beattie/the-aim-of-education-should-be-to-teach-us-how-to-think-rather-than/) [James Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-beattie/) ## More by Robert M. Hutchins > [...the fullest development of the highest powers of men can be achieved only in a world of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-fullest-development-of-the-highest-powers-of-men-can-be-achieved/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The college graduate is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-college-graduate-is-presented-with-a-sheepskin-to-cover-his/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The three major administrative problems on a campus are sex for the students, athletics for the alumni, and parking for the faculty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-three-major-administrative-problems-on-a-campus-are-sex-for-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [“To put an end to the spirit of inquiry that has characterized the West it is not necessary to burn the books. All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/to-put-an-end-to-the-spirit-of-inquiry-that-has-characterized-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When I feel like exercising I just lie down until the feeling goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-i-feel-like-exercising-i-just-lie-down-until-the-feeling-goes/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-death-of-democracy-is-not-likely-to-be-an-assassination-from/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [For those who are going to learn from books, learning the art of reading would seem to be indispensable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/for-those-who-are-going-to-learn-from-books-learning-the-art-of/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Nobody can read Freud without realizing that he was the scientific equivalent of another nuisance, George Bernard Shaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/nobody-can-read-freud-without-realizing-that-he-was-the-scientific/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Mathematics ... is indispensable as an intellectual technique. In many subjects, to think at all is to think like a mathematician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/mathematics-is-indispensable-as-an-intellectual-technique-in-many/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [There is only one justification for universities, as distinguished from trade schools. They must be centers of criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/there-is-only-one-justification-for-universities-as-distinguished/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When we listen to the radio, look at television and read the newspapers we wonder whether universal education has been the great boon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-we-listen-to-the-radio-look-at-television-and-read-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/it-is-not-so-important-to-be-serious-as-it-is-to-be-serious-about-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Whether four years of strenuous attention to football and fraternities is the best preparation for professional work has never been seriously investigated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/whether-four-years-of-strenuous-attention-to-football-and/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The policy of the repression of ideas cannot work and never has worked. The alternative to it is the long difficult road of education.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-policy-of-the-repression-of-ideas-cannot-work-and-never-has/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [To solve a problem it is necessary to think. It is necessary to think even to decide what facts to collect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/to-solve-a-problem-it-is-necessary-to-think-it-is-necessary-to-think/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) [Explore all 41 Robert M. Hutchins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## 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": "Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. 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