The reasons for schools' lack of leadership in using microcomputers for technological diffusion are explored in this article. General systems theory is used to examine the effects of the computer revolution on political, social, economic, and educational systems. Selected characteristics of schools and computers are offered as possible explanations for education's reactions to the computer revolution. Two future scenarios are discussed: resistance to change, which results in increased irrelevance of educational institutions to the external environment and their eventual decline; or adaptation, which is accomplished by rational planning for computer system selection and implementation. An extended bibliography is included. (LMI)