“[To organize a school] looks much more difficult in theory than it does in practice.” Quote by Amartya Sen
“The understanding that women are not inferior across the world, it's something that you can get from school, not only from the book but also from chatting with other kids. It's a big impact. One of the curious things is that even when - and this we found from studies - the schools are doing pretty badly in terms of their education, about mathematics and literature and language, going to school transformed people because I think the action of schooling, the activity, is very important.” PeopleThinkingWorldImportantBookBigsKidsActionSchoolFoundLiteratureLanguageUnderstandingTermStudyActivityMathematicsImpactCuriousTransformedInferiorsSchoolingChattingBig Impact Author:Amartya Sen
“South Korea at the end of the Second World War had a very low level of literacy. But suddenly, like in Japan, they determined they were going in that direction. In 20 years' time, they had transformed themselves. So when people go on saying that it's all because of perennial culture, which you cannot change, that's not the way the South Korean economy was viewed before the war ended. But again within 30 years, people went on saying there's an ancient culture in Korea that has been pro-education, which is true.” PeopleWorldWayYearsHas BeensWarEndsCultureLevelsEconomyGoes OnLowsSouthAncientDeterminedWar Of The WorldsJapanTransformedLiteracyKoreaKoreanSecond World WarLow LevelSouth Korea Author:Amartya Sen
“When I was younger, studying classical music, I really had to put in the time. Three hours a day is not even nice - you have to put in six.” ThreeHoursStudyNiceSixClassical MusicNice Day Author:Alicia Keys
“Nearly everywhere Buddhism went, there had been a higher level of literacy, even in miserable Burma, not to mention Thailand and Sri Lanka.” LevelsBuddhismHigherMiserableLiteracyHigher LevelThailandBurmaSri Lanka Author:Amartya Sen
“The higher education has always appealed to the South Asian social leaders across all the countries in South Asia. But primary education has been neglected. The oddity, by the way, is if you look at the contrast in India, there are some areas like Kerala where there's a long history of educational development.” IfsWayLooksLongHas BeensCountrySocialLeaderDevelopmentHigherAreasIndiaSouthEducationalPrimariesContrastAsiaAsianNeglectedHigher EducationOdditiesSouth AsiaPrimary Education Author:Amartya Sen
“I think the UN's role - especially since it's not an extremely rich fund, and that's to put it mildly - is mainly to act as a leading thinker of the world in terms of how to think about the future.” ThinkingWorldTermRolesRichFundThinker Author:Amartya Sen
“[The] USA has been immensely successful in making the determination to deal with terrorism [as] a factor in the global world and, similarly, if it took a similar interest in education, it could make a difference.” IfsWorldHas BeensInterestDifferencesDealsSuccessfulDeterminationTerrorismFactorsUsaMaking A Difference Author:Amartya Sen
“I think one big thing about the United States is that the American population, they may be excited about Iraq or one thing or another, but basically has had a great deal of interest in humanitarian causes both within the country and abroad. Even when they criticize the mechanism to which it flows.” ThinkingMayCountryStatesBigsCausesInterestUnitedDealsUnited StatesOne ThingFlowIraqPopulationExcitedHumanitarianCriticizeMechanismBig Things Author:Amartya Sen
“80 percent of the export of armament in the world comes from the G8 countries. [The] United States alone exports about 50 percent of the world's armament, [for] which, of course, there has to be buyers, and the buyers are very terribly keen, very often military dictator[s] or sometimes not military dictator[s] but for military purposes. But the sellers are also promoting this trade. And two thirds of the arm exports go to developing countries. I'm in favor of putting a control on it, a ban on it.” WorldTwoCountrySometimesStatesPurposeCoursesUnitedUnited StatesMilitaryArmsPercentThirdsTradeFavorsDevelopingDictatorPromotingBansSellersBuyersArmamentDeveloping Countries Author:Amartya Sen
“I think just as armament had a major impact of a negative kind in the world, education is something which has a major impact of a positive kind in the world. And I think the American population, with its humanity and with its concern about the future of the world, has a real reason to think about what it can do to help the world in expanding education.” ThinkingWorldKindRealReasonHelpingHumanityCan DoMajorsConcernNegativeImpactPopulationExpandingArmament Author:Amartya Sen