In the eyes of policy, the transformation of European education systems has become essential. Economically, education change is deemed vital to the successful emergence of knowledge economies. Politically, educational institutions and their cultures are seen as unhelpfully residual, providing a home to beliefs and practices that are not aligned with new priorities, and whose removal from the scene is strongly desired. Educational reform in Western Europe continues to be accompanied by high levels of contestation and conflict. The article discusses the terms of current conflicts in France and Italy, exploring the main lines of government programmes, and also the kinds of opposition they have encountered. (Contains 1 note.)