Two sets of opinion exist regarding the control of schools. The first pertains to the freedom of parental choice in education and the right of individuals and associations to run private schools subject to minimal government controls. The second stresses the overriding need to promote greater equality of opportunity in the form of publicly provided education and training. Based on comparative studies of the independent sectors of education in Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, this paper illustrates how nations have tried to achieve some kind of balance between these two views. The discussion seeks to clarify the issues which cause the marked difference in the acceptability, the scope, and the cost of private education in the various countries and in the degree of choice and equality of opportunity they achieve; and to demonstrate the strength of the common cause despite the differences, and the advantages of collaboration. The impact of such factors as explicit governmental action, the mores of society, and economic pressures are also reviewed.