ABSTRACT
It is the argument of this book that there is a tension between what is taught in the schools and universities of the states of Europe and the nature of the populations of those states. This tension places, on one side of the argument, curricular systems, now increasingly centralized and state-controlled, and, on the other, human diversity in its many forms. This diversity is becoming progressively more self-conscious in terms of nationality, racial identity and so on. The tension itself has varying degrees of intensity. At some levels, in some states, there is an attempt to diminish it by reflecting and enhancing the social diversity of the region or the continent within curricular systems. In other states, by contrast, the tension may be manifested in such extreme forms as the maintenance, by state controlled curricular systems, of prejudice against people perceived to have special educational needs, or the encouragement by schools and universities of racism and xenophobia.
