Educational systems are changing rapidly all over the world. The practice of developed countries borrowing educational practices from other developed countries is as widespread as that of underdeveloped nations borrowing from developed countries in the creation of education systems. The primary trends of educational reform in post-World War II Europe are examined for their philosophical, political, sociological, and economic antecedents and ramifications. This structural analysis provides a model of functions and dysfunctions of certain educational features. Of special interest is the channeling of students, early in their careers, into academic, vocational, or technical paths, and the effect of this process on the perservation of a traditional class structure. Appendixes present summaries of case studies from England, France, and Sweden on the topics of educational policy, structural reorganization in education, and curricular reform. (RA)