ABSTRACT
The claim that philosophy is one of the reflective and critical resources, which should be brought to bear on educational policy if policies are to be coherent, justifiable and effective, invites attention to the precise nature of the contribution which philosophy might make in these matters. A more well-grounded approach to discerning the proper contribution of philosophy with respect to educational policy is to focus upon the embeddedness of philosophical considerations in educational policies. The notion of levels of relationship between philosophy and educational policy refers to the differing degrees of specificity with which philosophy can be focused on educational policy. Philosophy on the one hand and educational policy making on the other do not share the same aims, values, interests and priorities. A related source of tension between philosophy and educational policy making arises from the question of the extent to which philosophical considerations can be properly made to ‘bite’ upon educational practice.
