With the growing politicization of education, the increasing number of educational reports and commissions, the growing interdependence of nations and their economic systems, this paper explores which factors normally shape education systems. Specifically, it identifies the extraneous and international forces shaping the intellectual agenda and the educational agenda. These forces have also helped to reduce the political and financial capacities of national and local governments to control their own education systems. Part 1 discusses some of the global influences that affect all education systems and shows how they shape the agenda and inform opinion. These influences include changing ideas about the nature and role of the state; the impact of supranational organizations; changing economic patterns; and demographic trends. Part 2 identifies international trends in educational policies and developments, and their implications for education. Changes in administration and education are examined, as well as the quality of academic standards. Whether it is possible to forecast developments into the next century at this stage remains a moot point in terms of educational policies, but not in terms of economic and demographic predictions. Three figures and four tables are included. (LMI)