Government policy on public support for private schools in Sweden, the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, France and Malta, and Canada is reviewed. In Sweden virtually all schools are government schools funded by local and national grants; only a handful of private schools exist and they receive no government funds. The United States directly funds only government-operated elementary and secondary schools. Australia's constitution contains a clause forbidding the government from establishing a religion, but in recent years the courts have approved government funding for private schools. Recently in Hong Kong government support has been extended to private schools that must abide by the Code of Aid (no discrimination on the basis of religion in hiring or dismissal of staff). The Netherlands shifted from a government system of public schools before 1920 to a system of predominantly private schools that are fully government funded. In France and Malta the government recently made demands that could have placed private schools under government control. Massive demonstration in France forced withdrawal of the plan; in Malta it is still unresolved and private schools have closed in protest. Ontario and other provinces of Canada are unusual in that private schools are operated by the government. (MD)