Why did Matthew Arnold believe public education was important for England?

Matthew Arnold believed that public education was essential for England because he viewed the state as the true repository of the nation's collective "best self," rather than any single social class.12

During his long tenure as an inspector of schools, Arnold observed that England lagged behind Continental states in its educational contributions, leaving the nation in a state of provinciality and complacency. In his work Culture and Anarchy, he argued that England’s new democracy lacked necessary standards and direction, which he termed "anarchy".321

Arnold specifically identified the "Philistines"—the influential middle class—as the key to the nation's character. Because their strengths and crudeness defined the nation, he argued it was vital to "educate and humanize" them to foster "sweetness and light". By promoting public education, Arnold sought to turn a "stream of fresh thought" upon English habits, helping to establish a national culture that could overcome social fragmentation and make "reason and the will of God prevail".12