Information Is Not Education: Charlotte Mason’s Lesson for the Digital Age
The renowned British educator Charlotte Mason famously observed, “It cannot be too often said that information is not education.”
The Age of Unlimited Information
Though writing in the 19th century, her observation is even more applicable to today’s circumstances. Never before in human history have we had such easy access to information—raw data on every imaginable subject is at our fingertips that can be accessed with a click and swipe. We are only into the third decade of the Internet age, and it has already become painfully clear that access to all this information has not resulted in a more educated populace. In fact, studies have confirmed that people are becoming less intelligent as time goes on (see here and here), with social media and smartphones likely accelerating the decline.
The data suggests that we are less educated despite being surrounded by education.
Beyond Facts: What Education Really Means
What accounts for this? Let us go back to Mason’s observation. When Charlotte Mason said that information is not education, she meant that merely acquiring facts or data does not constitute a true education. Education is a holistic process that involves nurturing a child’s mind, character, and curiosity through meaningful engagement with information, whether that information comes from nature, experience, or the great books. Information, then, is only one component of education. Children need to develop a relationship with the information they acquire for it to be of value. They must learn to analyze, infer, synthesize, compare, and utilize information, transforming disconnected pieces of data into a single tapestry of knowledge.
A Language Learning Analogy
We can use foreign language as an example. Vocabulary is the building block of any language. Without a comprehensive knowledge of a language’s vocabulary, it would be impossible to learn the language. However, memorizing vocabulary lists alone will not teach you the language. To use a language effectively, one needs to understand the rules of grammar—how those vocabulary words are used together to construct meaningful phrases. If one wanted to go further towards true mastery of a language, they would also need to learn the idioms, etiquette, voice inflections, and all the little subtleties of speech that are so integral to human language.
Just as we can’t learn a language by memorizing vocabulary alone, children cannot become educated with raw information. We need to ensure that our children are not merely memorizing facts for the next quiz, but are learning how the information they acquire relates to broader principles. We can do this concretely in our homeschools.
Practical Strategies for True Education
Several practical strategies drawn from Charlotte Mason’s principles can prove immensely fruitful in building critical thinking skills. Here are a few ideas:
• Incorporate narration exercises, where children retell stories or lessons in their own words, fostering the habit of processing and synthesizing information rather than passively absorbing it.
• Encourage the use of living books—rich, narrative-driven texts by authors passionate about their subject matter—instead of dry textbooks. Living books spark curiosity and lead children to form personal connections with ideas, prompting them to question, compare, and infer deeper meanings.
• Dedicate time to nature study. Guide children to observe the world around them closely, record findings in journals, and discuss patterns or anomalies. This builds analytical skills through real-world engagement.
• Model critical thinking yourself by holding family discussions on current events or historical events. Teach your children to evaluate sources, identify biases, and construct reasoned arguments, all while emphasizing the joy of discovery over rote memorization. (See my article on recognizing misinformation.)
Educating for the Future
Charlotte Mason reminds us that a true education transcends the mere accumulation of information. Instead, it demands a dynamic relationship between mind and heart, engaging the whole person. Embracing this approach in our homeschooling means we not only equip our children to navigate an information-saturated world but also nurture lifelong learners who think deeply and act wisely. If statistics are to be believed, this will be increasingly rare in the coming years as the world continues to sink in an ocean of data. Critical thinking is, therefore, the best possible advantage we can bequeath to our children.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join me and other homeschoolers in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group or in the HSC Community to continue the conversation.
