The paper discusses the concept of schools as "multi-purpose learning centres", proposed by the European Commission in the year 2000 as part of the Lisbon Strategy to improve competitiveness. This concept was arguably the "European vision" for school education and was meant to drive the modernization of school education. However, the concept has been somewhat ignored. The paper proposes a characterization of such "multi-purpose learning centres" based on the European definition, and presents some examples of how the European Commission is implementing these characteristics through European-financed projects in schools. This European vision of school education remains vague, and is only partially implemented through European financed projects that constitute fragile small boats in an ocean of school activities.