ABSTRACT
Education systems provide the foundations for the future wellbeing of every society. Internationally, UNESCO’s new Sustainable Development Goals challenge developed and developing countries to provide high-quality education for all children by 2030. Additionally, international measurements of the effectiveness of school education systems such as the OECD, PISA and TIMSS benchmarks have created a highly competitive environment between the countries involved. Decisions about education services are based on the values of those making the decisions. These are then transmitted overtly or covertly to children and young people thereby shaping society. Nations aspiring to be democratic face the challenge of how to balance competing values and demands of different groups in society.
