To gain perspective on current demands for accountability in England's schools, particularly the Assessment of Performance Unit (APU) proposals, the author looks at the history of school assessment procedures in England, noting that they've long played a dominant role in determining what is taught and how it is taught. (Author/SJL)

Three basic European educational systems are distinguished: state-financed and -controlled system; non-state system that does not rely solely on public financing or management; and private education, dependent on various systems of finance and/or indirect subsidy and controlled by proprietors. The history and problems of private education are…