Democratization of education is defined as equality of opportunity, aptitudes being equal, of access to further education following the compulsory classes common to all young people. The situation in France is analyzed in terms of school enrollment ratios by social class. The situation in France is compared to that in Great Britain, the United States, Germany, and the people's democracies of central and eastern Europe. The report discusses inequality of opportunity according to economic, cultural, and educational reasons and concludes that equalization of education is a question of political choice. (Author/MLF)