Scobie Mackenzie on Education

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 139, 21 May 1892, Page 2

Scobie Mackenzie on Education

In the course of his now famous i speech, made at Kaitangata, Mr 1 Mackenzie M.H.E., touched on the subject of education ; he said : — " Well, then, you shall go to America, and you shall take the infant son of the richest millionaire that country produces and educate him in any way that millions will permit. And I, at the same time, shall take the son of the humblest miner at Kaitangata. I shall put him through our free schools and then through our high schools, which are endowed by the iState, and give him a year or two at one of our universities, which are also endowed ; and at the age of 21 we shall bring the pair of them before you on this platform. Then I shall ask you to show me the essential difference between them. You would very likely choose the young millionaire, because he would perhaps have a better suit of clothes, or because he might have some tricks of manner that would impose on you ; but I, who understand these things, would back the young miner from Kaitangata. Education being equal, everything would depend upon their talents and industry ; but talents and industry, thank God, are not confined to any class, and are much commoner among the poor than the rich. But if you educate only one of these young men, and leave the other ignorant, what a sad contrftst you have then. The one only fit to be servant of the other. Now I ask you this question : Is there any other weapon known to humanity, is there any process you can think of, any Bill that you can paaa in Parliament— anything in the world, in fact, which will equalise human conditions like education ? — Applause. Of course there is not, and well you know it."