CARNEGIE'S COLOSSAL "TRUST" FOR SCOTTISH STUDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 155, 2 July 1901, Page 5

CARNEGIE'S COLOSSAL "TRUST" FOR SCOTTISH STUDENTS.

Primary, secondary and university education free, secular and compulsory would probably be the ultimate aim of the coloni-al educational idealist. The freedom of school and university alike will shortly be conferred on every Scot for Mr Andrew Came

I gie is, it seems, about to make it possible for all of Scottish birth, boys ; and girls alike, to enjoy all the advantages of education from board school ;up to university without the payment of a farthing in fees, lie is to give to his native land a gift of some I two millions or so, which is to raise i the universities of Scotland to the | foremost rank, and to open wide the gates of knowledge to every Scottish i student. The matter was discussed last Saturday at a meeting held at j the Scottish Education Department, | and among, the politicians present | were Lord Balfour, Sir Henry Campj bell Bannerman, Messrs A. J. Balfour. i Bryce, and John Moriey. At present I only a partial and misleading account jof Mr Carnegie's scheme has been j published. This credited him offering !lo hand to the Government securities jto the value of two millions, the.anj nual income .from which would suffice Ito pay all the class fees at the univerj sities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews, which at present amount to some £55,000 a year, | paid by. 6060 students, an average of £9 a-head. This erroneous outline has led to some adverse criticism, as it has been held that the payment of fees alone would not enable a penniless youth to obtain a university education, that outside technical schools and colleges would be handicapped in competition with the university, and a gap would.be left in the matter of secondary education which the Government might be forced to fill at the expense of the country. But Mr Carnegie's scheme has a far wider scope than opening the door of the university to every Scottish student. We are promised the full scheme in a few days, and meanI while it is vain to criticise. It is clear, however, that Mr Carnegie's bequest will be the biggest educational endowment ever conferred upon any country by a private individual, and may revolutionise the whole system of education in the United Kingdom. England, it is clear, will have to give- to her students' as open an educational door as the Scot^ tkn students may have, and both primavy and secondary education free, secular and compulsory and university edoeatlon free may be closer at \amd> t%»n even the gTfcsiast <mVkv-

siast could have imagined at the beginning of the century.

Whether colonials of Scottish descent will enjoy the privileges of the Scottish sons of the soil i» very doubtful. I should anviSß coming medicos, with their eyes on Edinburgh, meanwhile, not to build Carnegie castles in the air.