--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there’s one place, then, where we can…" description: "\"“If there’s one place, then, where we can intervene in a way that will pay dividends for society down the road, it’s in the classroom. Yet that’s barel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/rutger-bregman-2463_developing-countries_if-there-s-one-place-then-where-we-can-i_1115415.jpg" --- # If there’s one place, then, where we can intervene in a… ![“If there’s one place, then, where we can intervene in a way that will pay dividends for society down the road, it’s in the classroom. Yet that’s barely happening. All the big debates in education are about format. About delivery. About didactics. Education is consistently presented as a means of…” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/rutger-bregman-2463_developing-countries_if-there-s-one-place-then-where-we-can-i_1115415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/rutger-bregman-2463_developing-countries_if-there-s-one-place-then-where-we-can-i_1115415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/rutger-bregman-2463_developing-countries_if-there-s-one-place-then-where-we-can-i_1115415.jpg) > ““If there’s one place, then, where we can intervene in a way that will pay dividends for society down the road, it’s in the classroom. Yet that’s barely happening. All the big debates in education are about format. About delivery. About didactics. Education is consistently presented as a means of adaptation – as a lubricant to help you glide more effortlessly through life. On the education conference circuit, an endless parade of trend watchers prophesy about the future and essential twenty-first-century skills, the buzzwords being “creative,” “adaptable,” and “flexible.” The focus, invariably, is on competencies, not values. On didactics, not ideals. On “problem-solving ability,” but not which problems need solving. Invariably, it all revolves around the question: Which knowledge and skills do today’s students need to get hired in tomorrow’s job market – the market of 2030? Which is precisely the wrong question. In 2030, there will likely be a high demand for savvy accountants untroubled by a conscience. If current trends hold, countries like Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland will become even bigger tax havens, enabling multinationals to dodge taxes even more effectively, leaving developing countries with an even shorter end of the stick. If the aim of education is to roll with these kinds of trends rather than upend them, then egotism is set to be the quintessential twenty-first-century skill. Not”” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## 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 nurture values and critical thinking rather than merely training for future job markets. **In simple terms:** Teach values, not just skills. Key Takeaway Prioritize ethical, critical education. Themes education values critical thinking future ethics Mood thoughtful concerned Type analytical critical When to use this quote - school curricula - teacher training - policy reform - student activism Key Concepts humanism social responsibility critical pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How can schools embed ethical reasoning? - What values should guide future curricula? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on market needs may reinforce harmful societal structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debates Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debates-education-2992977/) [Developing countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-countries/) [Didactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didactics-2992981/) [Didactics Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didactics-ideals-2992978/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Question 2030](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-2030-2992979/) [Skills Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills-today-2992980/) ## Related quotes > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Also, it is interesting that developing countries, with China and India perhaps in the lead, where the future of the global environment will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/also-it-is-interesting-that-developing-countries-with-china-and-india/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [You can get an ice-cold Coke for around fifty cents in most developing countries, not just in the major population centers, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/you-can-get-an-ice-cold-coke-for-around-fifty-cents-in-most/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Building on our strong track record of supporting developing countries, including in areas like climate justice, human rights, gender and education, Ireland recognises that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/building-on-our-strong-track-record-of-supporting-developing/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [Accepting Turkey as a member of the European club means that the club is open to outsiders, to Muslims, to poorer people, to developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mango/accepting-turkey-as-a-member-of-the-european-club-means-that-the-club/) [Andrew Mango](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mango/) > [I don't think that developing countries gained from a two-stage process. A single phase summit (which is, after all, a two year process, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/i-don-t-think-that-developing-countries-gained-from-a-two-stage/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [A multi-polar world can not exist without recognising the status and participation of developing countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/a-multi-polar-world-can-not-exist-without-recognising-the-status-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [The massive corruption common in so many developing countries would be quite impossible if Western countries did not provide convenient opportunities to ship ill-gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-massive-corruption-common-in-so-many-developing-countries-would/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [As developing countries became bigger traders, it was clear that the old way of doing business wouldn't fly. To get them back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-altman/as-developing-countries-became-bigger-traders-it-was-clear-that-the/) [Daniel Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-altman/) > [Today, being the biggest developing countries in the world, China and India are both committed to developing their economy and raising their people's living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/today-being-the-biggest-developing-countries-in-the-world-china-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [A small child from a developing country has the advantage, from a very early age, of having access to toys which structure his mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdoulaye-wade/a-small-child-from-a-developing-country-has-the-advantage-from-a-very/) [Abdoulaye Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdoulaye-wade/) > [For some members of the radical Left, particularly in the West, people in developing countries are an ideological abstraction, on whom fantasies of liberation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/for-some-members-of-the-radical-left-particularly-in-the-west-people/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [UN and rich countries must make financial support to the recipient poor and developing countries conditional that they must ensure 100 percent education, protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irfan-aligi/un-and-rich-countries-must-make-financial-support-to-the-recipient/) [Irfan Aligi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irfan-aligi/) > [Jobs in the public sector are increasingly dependent on technology, and more and more government services are available online in developed and developing countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/jobs-in-the-public-sector-are-increasingly-dependent-on-technology/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [Making loans and fighting poverty are normally two of the least glamorous pursuits around, but put the two together and you have an economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/making-loans-and-fighting-poverty-are-normally-two-of-the-least/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-great-thing-about-money-is-that-people-can-use-it-to-buy-things/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-idea-that-the-gdp-still-serves-as-an-accurate-gauge-of-social/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/most-of-mark-zuckerberg-s-income-is-just-rent-collected-off-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/to-calculate-the-gdp-numerous-data-points-have-to-be-linked-together/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/countless-studies-have-shown-that-people-who-work-less-are-more/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/not-coincidentally-the-countries-with-the-shortest-workweeks-also/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) [Explore all 164 Rutger Bregman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More Developing countries quotes > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Jobs in the public sector are increasingly dependent on technology, and more and more government services are available online in developed and developing countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/jobs-in-the-public-sector-are-increasingly-dependent-on-technology/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [UN and rich countries must make financial support to the recipient poor and developing countries conditional that they must ensure 100 percent education, protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irfan-aligi/un-and-rich-countries-must-make-financial-support-to-the-recipient/) [Irfan Aligi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irfan-aligi/) > [For some members of the radical Left, particularly in the West, people in developing countries are an ideological abstraction, on whom fantasies of liberation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitava-kumar/for-some-members-of-the-radical-left-particularly-in-the-west-people/) [Amitava Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitava-kumar/) > [A small child from a developing country has the advantage, from a very early age, of having access to toys which structure his mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdoulaye-wade/a-small-child-from-a-developing-country-has-the-advantage-from-a-very/) [Abdoulaye Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdoulaye-wade/) > [Today, being the biggest developing countries in the world, China and India are both committed to developing their economy and raising their people's living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/today-being-the-biggest-developing-countries-in-the-world-china-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [As developing countries became bigger traders, it was clear that the old way of doing business wouldn't fly. To get them back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-altman/as-developing-countries-became-bigger-traders-it-was-clear-that-the/) [Daniel Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-altman/) > [The massive corruption common in so many developing countries would be quite impossible if Western countries did not provide convenient opportunities to ship ill-gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/the-massive-corruption-common-in-so-many-developing-countries-would/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [A multi-polar world can not exist without recognising the status and participation of developing countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/a-multi-polar-world-can-not-exist-without-recognising-the-status-and/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [I don't think that developing countries gained from a two-stage process. A single phase summit (which is, after all, a two year process, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/i-don-t-think-that-developing-countries-gained-from-a-two-stage/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [Accepting Turkey as a member of the European club means that the club is open to outsiders, to Muslims, to poorer people, to developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mango/accepting-turkey-as-a-member-of-the-european-club-means-that-the-club/) [Andrew Mango](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mango/) > [Building on our strong track record of supporting developing countries, including in areas like climate justice, human rights, gender and education, Ireland recognises that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/building-on-our-strong-track-record-of-supporting-developing/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [You can get an ice-cold Coke for around fifty cents in most developing countries, not just in the major population centers, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/you-can-get-an-ice-cold-coke-for-around-fifty-cents-in-most/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Also, it is interesting that developing countries, with China and India perhaps in the lead, where the future of the global environment will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/also-it-is-interesting-that-developing-countries-with-china-and-india/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [Making loans and fighting poverty are normally two of the least glamorous pursuits around, but put the two together and you have an economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/making-loans-and-fighting-poverty-are-normally-two-of-the-least/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) [Browse all 215 Developing countries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-countries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If there’s one place, then, where we can intervene in a way that will pay dividends for society down the road, it’s in the classroom. Yet that’s barely happening. All the big debates in education are about format. About delivery. About didactics. Education is consistently presented as a means of adaptation – as a lubricant to help you glide more effortlessly through life. On the education conference circuit, an endless parade of trend watchers prophesy about the future and essential twenty-first-century skills, the buzzwords being “creative,” “adaptable,” and “flexible.” The focus, invariably, is on competencies, not values. On didactics, not ideals. On “problem-solving ability,” but not which problems need solving. Invariably, it all revolves around the question: Which knowledge and skills do today’s students need to get hired in tomorrow’s job market – the market of 2030? Which is precisely the wrong question. In 2030, there will likely be a high demand for savvy accountants untroubled by a conscience. If current trends hold, countries like Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland will become even bigger tax havens, enabling multinationals to dodge taxes even more effectively, leaving developing countries with an even shorter end of the stick. If the aim of education is to roll with these kinds of trends rather than upend them, then egotism is set to be the quintessential twenty-first-century skill. 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