An article appearing in the University World News, authored by Desmond Thompson, on 30 March 2024, opens with one of Nelson Mandela’s most frequently quoted statements, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Considering that he continued his studies while spending 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid, a system that heavily restricted educational opportunities for black South Africans, his quote has been interpreted to refer to both individual empowerment and societal transformation.

Education equips people with knowledge, critical thinking and skills to improve their lives and fight for change. At the same time, education enables society to challenge the status quo, promote social justice and build a more equitable future.

Mandela died over a decade ago, yet the view that education can be a tool to change people to change the world is very much alive.

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