Between 2000 and 2020, governments intensified efforts to raise education standards, driven in part by the OECD’s PISA surveys, which exposed stark disparities in national performance. The case study countries lagged behind the top performers, with Germany ranking near the very bottom. As a result, introducing new reforms – or revising previous performance-driven policies – became a top priority. However, teachers’ unions continued to resist these measures, as they placed sharp light on teacher performance, potentially threatening job security.

This chapter examines the extent of educational reform across the case countries. It highlights how Germany, after decades of near stagnation, embarked on major reforms as the government successfully curtailed union influence. In contrast, in Sweden, which had initially embraced significant changes, experienced a slowdown and partial reversal of earlier reforms following the resurgence of teacher union power. England, despite a Labour government, continued to push forward with reforms, as unions remained effectively held at bay. Meanwhile, France saw little change, as unions repeatedly thwarted reform efforts from both the politically right and left.

The chapter further examines how teachers’ unions, having solidified power bases at both the local and EU levels, effectively sidelined competing interest groups, particularly private schools and parental groups. As a result, they maintained a dominant role in shaping education policy, largely insulated from broader public influence.