It is the duty of the State to educate, and the right of the

“It is the duty of the State to educate, and the right of the people to demand education.” So spoke Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia, and though the years have carried his voice far into the shadows of time, the weight of his words remains like thunder rolling across the mountains. This saying is not a mere statement of policy, nor the dry command of a lawgiver. It is a proclamation of sacred duty, an eternal covenant between rulers and the ruled. For without knowledge, the people are bound in chains more terrible than iron: chains of ignorance, fear, and submission. And without wisdom in the multitude, the State itself is crippled, for how can a nation walk boldly into the future if its children are blind?

The State, Barton declares, is not merely an authority of laws and taxes, but a steward of minds. Its first duty is not only to protect bodies with armies, but to awaken souls with light. When a State neglects this, it becomes a hollow shell, rich perhaps in wealth, but barren in virtue. To educate is to prepare each person to rise, to think, to question, and to build. To educate is to pass the torch of civilization, so that no generation may dwell forever in darkness.

But this covenant is not one-sided. Barton proclaims that it is also the right of the people to demand education. The people are not beggars in this matter; they are heirs. They do not merely receive as a gift what the State may whimsically bestow—they claim as their inheritance the tools of thought and reason. For every child born carries within them a spark of greatness, but it is the sharpening of the mind through learning that fans this spark into flame. To deny them education is to deny them destiny.

Consider the story of Frederick Douglass, who was born enslaved in America. Forbidden by law to learn letters, he taught himself secretly, scratching words on scraps of paper, reading by the dim light of stolen moments. When at last he could read, his soul was set ablaze, and he declared that knowledge was the pathway from slavery to freedom. His life became a living testament: where education flourishes, liberty is born; where it is withheld, tyranny reigns. The story of Douglass shows us that Barton’s words are not bound to Australia alone—they are universal, resonating in every land where hearts long for freedom.

Education, then, is both shield and sword. It protects the weak from being deceived, and it arms the just with wisdom to resist oppression. When the State fails to teach its people, it opens the gates for corruption and decay. When the people fail to demand learning, they abandon their own power, becoming as clay in the hands of those who rule without conscience. Thus Barton’s saying is both warning and exhortation: a State that educates is strong, but a people that demands education is unbreakable.

Let us, therefore, draw from these words a living lesson. Parents, guard the education of your children as you would guard their health. Citizens, demand from your leaders schools that awaken not just the mind but also the spirit. Teachers, bear in mind that you are not merely passing facts, but kindling light. And each of us, no matter our age, must remember that to learn is to live, and to stop learning is to decay. The fountain of wisdom is never dry, but it must be sought with hunger.

In this, we find our charge: the duty of the State, the right of the people, the hunger of the soul. Let no ruler forget, and let no citizen grow weary of demanding it. For in education lies the seed of liberty, the root of justice, and the promise of a brighter dawn. The wise must teach, the young must rise, and the people must never cease to demand the light. This is the covenant of nations, the lifeblood of democracy, and the hope of generations yet unborn.

Thus, remember: If ever you find yourself in the quiet of doubt, think on these words of Barton. Ask: Am I seeking wisdom today? Am I guarding the right of others to learn? For as the ancients taught, the State is strong not when its walls are high, but when its people are wise. And the people are free not when they shout loudly, but when they think deeply. Demand education. Cherish knowledge. Pass it on. This is the path of freedom, the true strength of a nation, and the inheritance of humankind.