In examining education systems in Europe, examples show that it is wiser to build slowly and carefully, preserving what is best in existing practice, and discarding what is out of mesh with the times. Using illustrations from 14 countries in western Europe, 4 factors largely determine the size and composition of the independent sector in a country, the degree of autonomy and effectiveness enjoyed by schools, and the freedom of parents to choose. These are: (1) the existence and nature of constitutional and legal guarantees of the rights of parental choice and freedom of belief and association; (2) the effects of state subsidies and controls resulting in marked differences in standards, accessibility, and autonomy; (3) the amount of indirect aid to parents and schools from the state and the community; and (4) the historical interplay of educational patterns and social mores, and in particular, the degree of involvement of the churches in education. In organizing education in a democratic society, a critical balance needs to be considered among four conflicting needs: (1) the freedom of choice for parents among schools with different educational philosophies; (2) adequate controls by society to safeguard sound standards of education in schools; (3) reasonable freedom to innovate and experiment; and (4) equality of opportunity regardless of ability to pay. Reaching a balance depends on attaining sufficient consensus among all concerned. (CK)