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Airline Quote by Stephen Fry

“This new England we have invented for ourselves is not interested at all in education. It is only interested in training, both material and spiritual. Education means freedom, it means ideas, it means truth. Training is what you do to a pear tree when you pleach it and prune it to grow against a…” quote by Stephen Fry
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“This new England we have invented for ourselves is not interested at all in education. It is only interested in training, both material and spiritual. Education means freedom, it means ideas, it means truth. Training is what you do to a pear tree when you pleach it and prune it to grow against a wall. Training is what you give an airline pilot or a computer operator or a barrister or a radio producer. Education is what you give children to enable them to be free from the prejudices and moral bankruptcies of their elders.”

Stephen Fry

About This Quote

Source Speech: Interview, Stephen Fry, 2005

The quote contrasts education, which fosters freedom, ideas, and truth, with training, which shapes specific skills, likening it to pruning a tree.

In simple terms: Education frees the mind; training builds specific abilities.

Key Takeaway

Balance critical thinking with practical skill development.

Themes

education freedom training skill development

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

explanatory philosophical

When to use this quote

  • school curricula
  • professional development
  • parental guidance

Key Concepts

Pedagogy critical thinking vocational training

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can curricula integrate both education and training?
  • What role does freedom play in learning?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on training can limit creative thinking.

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