ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses social justice, equality of educational opportunity, equality of results, equity and affirmative action, and deals with an international perspective on the relations between rich and poor nations. The assumptions were that free schools would eliminate economic sources of inequality and that a common curriculum would ensure equality in educational opportunity. The responsibility for achievement was now shifted to the individual since the school would have provided an "opportunity", the role of the school now became passive. In democratic societies freedom of choice is seen as a basic right; this liberty to choose appears to be antithetical to equality in education. "Equality may be promoted only at the expense of liberty and conversely liberty may be safeguarded only at the expense of equality". Equality of educational opportunity is seen according to the filter through which it is viewed. The educationist sees contradictions and dilemmas which undermine it as an analytic tool.
