The last few decades have seen many attempts to "reform" education across the world. Those reforms have been spurred on by the perceived low standards, by the number of young people who are seen to be educational failures, and by the need for a "skilled workforce" if our respective countries are to compete successfully in an ever more global and competitive economy. In this paper, I shall first, indicate how, in the present context, these "reforms" are often conceived; second, question the "educational" meaning and value of calling them "reforms"; third, argue that "educational reform" requires agreement on educational aims; fourth, therefore, ask "What counts as an educated person?" and finally, reflect on the consequences of thinking in a very different way.