This article is an English translation of Niklas Luhmann's essay, "Erziehung als Formung des Lebenslaufes." Any review of what takes place nowadays in the "education system" soon reveals that no account, let alone theory, covers everything to be found there. It embraces not only schools and universities but also kindergartens and institutes of adult education, further education courses and "educational travel," vocational training and general education. The issue of the unity and the specific modus operandi of the system can be raised with respect to various distinctions, for example that between general and occupational education, but would scarcely extend to kindergartens and driving schools. In this essay, Luhmann focuses on another volatile difference, that between children and adults. [This article was translated by Rhodes Barrett.]