Is there such a thing as an ideal education system? My answer to that question is a resounding yes. Findings from empirical education research and lessons from educational practice converge on a set of systemic key features. These key features are identified and promoted in the programmes of most political parties and associations in many European countries. If education systems continue to fall short of that ideal in some respects, it is not because we do not know what an ideal education system might look like but rather because we fail to make the necessary changes to the existing systems.

What are the undisputed goals and features of an ideal education system? How can they be implemented? The authors in this volume have done an outstanding job in finding answers, which is why this chapter can largely be limited to a few additional comments. It starts with a brief summary of the goals an education system must achieve, followed by a discussion of the structures and cultures that shape these goals and support the path towards achieving them. The third section addresses the question of whether the concepts of standardisation and stratification are systematically related to good and bad education systems.

Goals of good education policy

The goals of good education policy are largely uncontested and are specified in many seminal contributions to the sociology of education. In this chapter I primarily rely on Allmendinger (2012) and Allmendinger et al (2014), two pieces that have recently summarised existing knowledge.

Inclusion. A good education system is one that is open at no charge to all individuals, helping them to fully realise their unique potential. In other words, children's socioeconomic background, their place of residence, their parents’ countries of origin and whether or not they have physical or mental disabilities, should be irrelevant. The goal is to provide equal access to education and to achieve the best possible educational outcome for each learner. The dual nature of this imperative is important: equal access and optimal support. Promoting equal access to education alone is far from sufficient. It is perfectly possible to provide opportunities and then simply sit back and wait to see who takes advantage of them and how, but it is also possible to encourage people to embrace these opportunities and to actively support them in making the most of their potential.