During the 19th century the history of education and schooling in the Netherlands was characterized by a struggle by various religious and church groups for the freedom to erect and support own schools. This history also included the struggle to obtain equal financial support for these ‘particular’schools. The course of the struggle was largely determined by the philosophies, ideologies and commitments of the various participants in the struggle. These philosophical/ideological positions entailed mainly the following: Enlightenment thinking (Rationalism in its various forms), Deism, Romanticism, revolutionary thinking, Classical Humanism, Socialism, Modernism, the Réveil (re-awakening), and ethical thinking. In this article each of these philosophical/ideological positions is briefly outlined and its impact on the education struggle and the personalities involved is indicated.