involve the establishment of a communal
system of education such as is set forth in the _Republic_ of Plato.
Further, such a position logically leads to the contention that the
other necessities of life requisite for securing the social efficiency
of the future members of the State should also be provided by the State
in its corporate capacity acting as the guardian of the young, and from
this we are but a short way from the position that it belongs to the
community to superintend the propagation of the species, and to regulate
the marriages of its individual members. This is State socialism in its
most extreme form, and is contrary to the spirit of a true liberalism, a
true democracy, and a true Christianity.

The opposing position--the position of liberalism untainted by
socialism--is that it is the duty of the State to see that as far as
possible the social inequalities which arise through the individualistic
organisation of society are removed or remedied, and that equality of
opportunity is secured to each to make the best of his own individual
life. In the educational sphere this implies that any obstacles in the
way of a man's educating his children should be removed, if and in so
far as these obstacles are irremovable by any private effort of his own,
and that the opportunity of obtaining the best possible education should
be open to the children of the poor if they are fitted by nature to
profit by such an education. It further implies that the means of higher
education, provided at the public expense, should not be wasted on the
children of any class if by nature they are unfitted to benefit by the
means placed at their disposal; _i.e._, a national system of education
must be democratic in the sense that the means of higher education shall
be open to all, rich and poor, in order that each individual may be
enabled to fit himself for the particular service for which by nature he
is best suited. It must see, further, that any obstacles which prevent
the full use of these means by particular individuals are, as far as may
be possible, removed. A national system of education, on the other hand,
must be aristocratic in the sense that it is selective of the best
ability. Lastly, it must be restrictive, in order that the means of
higher education may be utilised to the best advantage, and not misused
on those who are unfitted to benefit therefrom.

Closely connected with the position that it is the duty of the State