This is the first book to offer an overview of the ways in which the sweeping social and economic changes of the modern period have impacted on the education systemy. Drawing on extensive research, it details the ways in which external events shaped schools and universities, and of the part they played in promoting societal modernization. Exploring links between these issues and educational provision, Lowe argues that educational issues' growing political significance is largely explained by the critical part played by the education system in providing stability in contemporary times.