H.I.M. words concerning education
``A strong nation and a free nation can only
base itself upon education.
In order to make life worthwhile it is also necessary to acquire other things
that can only come about after the acquisition of learning. Learning and
technical training must be nurtured by faith in God, reverence for the human
soul, and respect for the reasoning mind.
There is no safer anchorage for our learning, our lives and our actions than
that provided by divine teachings coupled with the best in human understanding.
The leaders developed here should be guided by the fundamental values and the
moral power which have for centuries constituted the essence of our religious
teachings.
These are crucial times when nations rise against nations, tensions increase and
disaster is possible at any moment. Distances are shrinking. Peace and life
itself are threatened by misunderstanding and conflict. Now is the time when
man's relationship to God must be the foundation for all his efforts toward
enlightenment, and learning the basis for understanding cooperation and peace.
The existence of a skilled and trained manpower is an absolute necessity for the
progress and development of any country. Therefore, it is the sacred duty and
responsibility of students and parents to see to it that the mistakes of the
past are not repeated and that time which should be devoted to the pursuit of
learning is not wasted by students heedlessly, following the instigation of a
few misguided troublemakers who have yet to understand the
value and the true meaning of education.
The salvation of our country Ethiopia, we have repeatedly stated to you, lies
primarily in education. As Ethiopia is one, all Ethiopians are also one and
education is the only way to maintain the condition.
In all countries of the modern world, special competence is required to deal
with the advancement of agriculture, industry, commerce and the civil service.
That competence, can be secured only through the facilities provided in modern
universities.
We believe that the universities today stand as the most promising hope for
constructive solutions to the problems that beset the modern world, problems
which prevent the peaceful cooperation of nations and which threaten the world
and humanity with death and disaster.
From universities must come men, ideas, knowledge, experience, technical skills
and the deep human understanding vital to fruitful relations among nations.
Without these, world order for which we have so long strived, cannot be
established.
A well informed public opinion is essential to the growth of political and
social awareness.Only he who is informed can comment intelligently on his
nation's development and only by such comments can errors be corrected and
progress stimulated.
We must draw on what is valuable and meaningful in our history and tradition,
merging this with the best in modern learning.We expect from you, to whom we
have given the opportunity of education in your chosen field
great and productive service to our country.If women develop in education, they
can overcome the natural weakness and serve their country as men do.
It is our wish to assure the spread of education among all African People as
much as among our own subjects.
A father should bequeath not only wealth but also provide proper education.
Education has value when it is established in individuals of good character with
respect to God. We wish that your destiny shall be embraced in an education
firmly based in good character before men and respect before God.
Any who may wish to profit himself alone from the knowledge given him, rather
than serve others through the knowledge he has gained from learning, is
betraying knowledge and rendering it worthless.
A man's happiness is to make his brother happy, and to serve his country. Thus
it is possible to justify for knowledge its high and deserved place. For
knowledge is power. If it is not applied to its proper purpose, to create, let
there be no doubt, it will destroy.
If we have made so many sacrifices for the education of our youth, it is because
we are convinced that only through intellectual progress and education can
Ethiopia come into its own and make it's just contribution to the history of the
Middle East.
We believe that from truth alone is born liberty and only an educated people can consider itself as really free and master of its fate. It is only with an educated people that representative and democratic organs of government can exercise their influence for national progress.``