After exploring what we mean by 'public', this article advances the argument that there have been two distinct periods in the post-war English schooling system and argues that the latest one, of markets and managerialism, ushered in on the back of neoliberal economic theories during the 1980s, has internal contradictions if, as both parties declare, their aims for the schooling system are to secure 'equal opportunity', 'equity' and 'social mobility'. It concludes with an argument for changing five systemic influences external to schools--namely: governance; pupil admissions; finance; curriculum exams; and accountability, and the existence in their present form of private schools--in order to make the system fairer.