The address discusses the apparent schism between scholarship, culture, and vocation, with Thomson making the case that a good education needs to contain aspects of all three in order to produce a whole individual. He illustrates his points with examples of education from around the world.

In relation to this, Thomson discusses the project method, which involves students working together using individual skills, the folkhighschool movement in Denmark, the youth movement in Germany, and the auditorium work present in American high schools.

Thomson argues that everyone is entitled to an education whatever their ability. He stresses that schools do, and should, contain a mixture of students who have access to the same facilities, but whose individual abilities, as well as their interests, are catered to by educators.