Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state

“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments.” – Bobby Scott

In these words, Bobby Scott, an American statesman devoted to public service and justice, reminds us of a truth both ancient and eternal: that the strength of a nation lies not in its wealth, nor in its armies, but in the education of its people. To him, education is not merely an institution—it is the lifeblood of democracy, the means by which citizens learn to think freely, to act wisely, and to serve their communities with understanding. When he speaks of “state and local governments,” he speaks not of bureaucracy, but of guardians—those entrusted with nurturing the intellect and spirit of the next generation.

The origin of this idea reaches deep into the foundation of civilization. From the schools of Athens to the academies of Confucius, societies have risen or fallen based on the care they gave to learning. Bobby Scott’s declaration carries forward this timeless wisdom into the modern age, where the challenges are vast and the need for enlightenment greater than ever. In his view, education is not a privilege—it is the sacred duty of the state, the vessel through which equality, opportunity, and moral strength flow into the hearts of all people.

Consider the story of Horace Mann, the 19th-century reformer known as the “Father of American Public Education.” In an age when schooling was a privilege of the rich, Mann fought to make it free for every child, believing that ignorance was the root of all oppression. He traveled from town to town, pleading with lawmakers to fund schools, to train teachers, to raise the standard of learning. He said, “Education is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” His work transformed America’s future, proving that when governments invest in education, they build not only knowledge but justice, unity, and hope.

The same truth has echoed across nations. When postwar Japan rebuilt its society, it did not begin with weapons or monuments—it began with schools. Teachers became heroes; textbooks became tools of rebirth. The children who sat in humble classrooms grew into leaders, inventors, and visionaries. Their nation’s renewal was born not of conquest, but of education guided by moral purpose. Bobby Scott’s words remind us that every state and city holds this same power within its grasp—to lift its people through learning, to shape its destiny by shaping its youth.

Yet, the weight of this responsibility is heavy. When governments neglect education, the light of reason dims, and the shadows of ignorance lengthen. Poverty deepens, division widens, and justice falters. The cost of neglect is not measured in money, but in lost potential—in the child who could have cured disease, or led wisely, or written words that stirred nations, but was never given the chance. Education is not an expense; it is an investment in eternity. It is the seed from which the soul of a nation grows.

To say that “education is perhaps the most important function” is to place it above all others—not because roads or armies or markets are unworthy, but because none can endure without wisdom. A society that teaches its children well will govern itself well; a society that neglects its schools will crumble, no matter how mighty its walls. True power lies not in domination, but in understanding; not in control, but in enlightenment.

Let every leader, then, take this lesson to heart: to educate is to serve the highest calling of governance. Let every teacher see themselves as a builder of nations, and every parent as a partner in the grand design of learning. And let every citizen remember that schools are not distant institutions—they are the temples of the future, where the young learn not only to read and count, but to dream, to reason, and to care.

For as Bobby Scott reminds us, the measure of a government’s greatness is not how much it rules, but how much it uplifts. When the halls of learning are filled with light, when no child is left in darkness, when education becomes the heartbeat of every community—then, and only then, does a people truly rise.