Canada's national educational system elicits diverse curricular demands and requires discreet, sensitive responses. In spite of perennial funding shortfalls, Canada's schools have been remarkably successful in meeting those demands. During and after the 1960s, educational change came as a result of two very strong sets of expectations. One broad area of demand was for more open, flexible schools with an emphasis on student rights and currency of curricula. The other issue involved the desire by students for the right to dissent. In the past 20 years, Canada's schools have made Herculean curricular and methodological responses to both sets of demands. An example of where schools did not do so well was in responding to expectations and demands for individualization of instruction. Canadians rushed into non-gradedness, open-area classrooms, and class size reduction campaigns. Lasting curricular adaptation is, however, a complex and evolving enterprise. Professional development and renewal is the best means of embedding educational change in school systems. Schools are expected to achieve multiculturalism in its richest Canadian sense, but are also facing demands for nurturing specific cultural identity and values. Schools face an ever-expanding mandate in many areas, notably including values and technological education. While there are always challenges of higher expectations and lower resources, Canadian educators are well positioned to succeed. (TES)