If we don't invest in education we'll continue to be dead last.

Jim Justice, with the blunt honesty of a leader who gazes upon the fate of his people, declared: “If we don’t invest in education we’ll continue to be dead last.” These words strike like a warning bell in the night. For he speaks not of numbers alone, nor of mere rankings in reports, but of the destiny of a people. To neglect education is to starve the roots of a nation; to invest in it is to plant seeds of greatness. His cry is both lament and summons, a reminder that without knowledge, no land can rise, and with knowledge, even the weakest can become mighty.

In the ancient world, the philosophers of Greece and the scribes of Egypt understood this truth. They knew that education is the flame that passes from one generation to the next. When Athens flourished, it was not by the strength of its walls or the might of its armies alone, but by the wisdom of its schools, its thinkers, its poets, and its lawmakers. Where minds are sharpened, societies prosper; where minds are left dull, societies falter and crumble. Jim Justice’s warning is the echo of this timeless law: without learning, the soul of a people grows barren.

Consider the story of Frederick Douglass, born into bondage in America, denied the right to learn. Yet through secret reading and hidden lessons, he grasped the power of knowledge. “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free,” he declared. It was education that became his liberation, the sword that cut the chains of ignorance. Through learning, Douglass rose to become a voice that thundered against slavery and injustice. His life is proof eternal that investment in education is not luxury, but salvation. Without it, we remain enslaved—not always in chains of iron, but in chains of poverty, stagnation, and despair.

Justice speaks of being “dead last,” and though the phrase is harsh, it is the medicine of truth. To be last is not shameful if one strives to rise, but to be last and content, to linger without effort, is the true tragedy. His words remind us that a nation which fails to uplift its children through schools, teachers, and opportunities condemns itself to fall behind others. For in a world that races forward, those who do not run with learning are trampled beneath the feet of progress.

The lesson here is for nations, but also for every soul. Each person who neglects learning, who chooses sloth over study, remains “last” in their own journey. But those who commit themselves to growth—whether through books, mentors, or daily practice—climb steadily, rising in strength, wisdom, and dignity. Education is not merely for the young, but for all, a lifelong fire that must be fed.

Therefore, let us heed this call. Let us demand that our leaders pour resources into schools and teachers, that no child be left in the shadow of ignorance. Let families create homes where curiosity is praised, where stories are told, and where questions are welcomed. Let individuals, no matter their age, refuse to let their minds wither, but seek wisdom in every season of life.

Practical action lies before us: read daily, encourage the young, support the schools in your community, and never despise the humble act of learning something new. For each page read, each lesson learned, each mind awakened, is a step out of the darkness of “last place” into the light of possibility.

Thus, children of tomorrow, remember Jim Justice’s warning. To neglect education is to walk willingly into weakness. To invest in it is to rise with the wings of wisdom. Choose always the latter path, and you will not only lift yourself but your people, your nation, and all who come after you. For in the temple of learning, all who enter are reborn, and all who emerge carry the torch of progress into the waiting dawn.