Thoughts on education

"All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth".
Aristotle.

Despite wars and continuing tensions, the Israeli economy is prospering. Why? Thousands of young Israelis have entered the modern age of economy, based on science and technology and although we have yet a long way ahead of us, significant progress has already been made.

Knowledge applies to what has already taken place, while vision relates to what might be. It is science and technology which then converts creative ideas and potential solutions for global problems into a reality.


Education, Vision and Innovation enable the future generation to reach its potential and move towards new horizons. The more we turn to man's hidden potential- far more concealed than exposed, the wealthier we become intellectually. Intellectual property is- after all- the source for a better life.

Many young readers, of all walks of life, have responded to my first and former blog entry. Some were extremely positive and others raised serious questions, out of pain and caring. It is this dynamism and curiosity, and the courage which accompanies them, which I hail, salute and encourage. Such intellectual curiosity and a questioning mind should serve as the guiding pillars for youth throughout the world.

As a citizen, my demands, vis-à-vis education, should not be solely directed at the government, but also at the citizens themselves. The government is not exclusively responsible for education, as the latter is born and nurtured at home, within society, on television screens and on the internet. The people of our region can do at least as much as their governments, to improve and enhance their children's education.

Indeed, it is within schools, that one's country must educate youth to become citizens in a republic of values, and not only to remain as passive subjects in a colony of commodities. It is necessary to cultivate the ability to liberate ourselves from the prejudices of the past and encourage tolerance for a new form of togetherness. In schools one teaches history. In life, one has to prepare for the future.

Nonetheless, we- as individuals- should engage ourselves in finding creative solutions for the problems of the past, and not hang exclusively upon the existing establishments. I would like to see a reality in which every student may see him/herself as an individual R&D institution.

As I call upon the people of Israel to delve into themselves and mobilize goodwill to improve and build upon the existing educational system, I suggest to the people of our region not to miss the opportunity to rise to the occasion, and examine possibilities for improving new frameworks for youth, for women, and for the less privileged sectors, in order to bring about the enhancement of the entire region.

If the past divides, the future may unite us.