We all have our heroes. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. One of my heroes is the late-great Nelson Mandela, who was affectionally nicknamed “Madiba.” His life serves as a testament to the impact that one determined person can have on the course of history. In this blog, I want to share 21 inspirational quotes that Nelson Mandela made about education with you.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela

“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” — Nelson Mandela

 “From the poorest of countries to the richest of nations, education is the key to moving forward in any society.” — Nelson Mandela

“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” — Nelson Mandela

 “Education is the great engine to personal development.” — Nelson Mandela

“Without education, your children can never really meet the challenges they will face. So it’s important to give children education and explain that they should play a role for their country.” — Nelson Mandela

“No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.” — Nelson Mandela

 “Educating all of our children must be one of our most urgent priorities. We all know that education, more than anything else, improves your chances of building better lives.” — Nelson Mandela

“It can be said that there are four basic and primary things that the mass of people in a society wish for: to live in a safe environment, to be able to work and provide for themselves, to have access to good public health and to have sound educational opportunities for their children.” — Nelson Mandela

 “The question of education has nothing to do with the question of the vote. On numerous occasions, it has been proved in history that people can enjoy the vote even if they have no education.” — Nelson Mandela

“It reaffirmed my long-held belief that education was the enemy of prejudice. These were men and women of science, and science had no room for racism.” — Nelson Mandela

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion.” — Nelson Mandela

 “On the first day of school, my teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave each of us an English name and said that from thenceforth that was the name we would answer to in school. This was the custom among Africans in those days and was undoubtedly due to the British bias of our education.” — Nelson Mandela

“No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated. Any nation that is progressive is led by people who have had the privilege of studying.” — Nelson Mandela

“It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education.” — Nelson Mandela

 “No child in Africa, and in fact anywhere in the world, should be denied education.” — Nelson Mandela

 “Rhetoric is not important. Actions are.” — Nelson Mandela

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” — Nelson Mandela

 “Let’s recommit to work towards our common goal: a nation where all of us are winners, all of us have shelter, food, and education” — Nelson Mandela

 “Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.” — Nelson Mandela

 “The education I received was a British education, in which British ideas, British culture, British institutions, were automatically assumed to be superior. There was no such thing as African culture.” — Nelson Mandela

Can you think of any more?