"I confess that for fifteen years my efforts in education, and my hopes of success in establishing a system of national education, have always been associated with the idea of coupling the education of this country with the religious communities which exist"

This quote by Richard Cobden speaks to his commitment to education and learning as well as his belief that it should be paired with religious areas. He acknowledges that for fifteen years he has actually been working towards this goal, and that his efforts and hopes have been concentrated on this concept. Cobden's vision was to produce a system of national education that would certainly be closely linked to the religious neighborhoods that currently exist. He wanted to make sure that education and learning came to all, regardless of their faiths. He believed that education needs to be a shared experience, which it needs to be rooted in the worths and practices of the spiritual areas. By coupling education and learning with spiritual communities, Cobden hoped to produce an extra unified and fair society.