[F]or avoiding the extremes of despotism or anarchy . . . the only ground of hope must be on the morals of the people. I believe that religion is the only solid base of morals and that morals are the only possible support of free governments. [T]herefore education should teach the precepts of religion and the duties of man towards God.
Interpretation
Morality rooted in religion is essential for democracy and should be taught in education.
This quote highlights the importance of morals derived from religious teachings as a foundation for a free and just government. Gouverneur Morris argues that without a strong moral compass, society risks sliding into either despotism or anarchy, and therefore, education should integrate religious precepts to instill proper ethical behavior and a sense of duty among citizens.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the role of ethics in education during a seminar.
Years should not be devoted to the acquisition of dead languages or to the study of history which, for the most part, is a detailed account of things that never occurred. It is useless to fill the individual with dates of great battles, with the births and deaths of kings. They should be taught the philosophy of history, the growth of nations, of philosophies, theories, and, above all, of the sciences.
Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds, do not overload them. Put there just a spark.
Give your child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information.
All too often, technology is treated as a silver bullet for perceived problems in education. This sometimes leads to knee-jerk investments, using scarce resources to invest in software or hardware without a clear notion of how either might actually empower learning.
I never had a black teacher or lecturer, I never once met a black British person who held any sort of professional or managerial role.
The most important thing is to make a percussive instrument a singing instrument. Teachers should stress this aspect in their instruction, but it seems that very few of them actually do.
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