Chapter 3 investigates the period 1980–2000, a time when governments, with the exception of Germany, inherited comprehensive systems widely seen as inadequate for equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed in an era of rapid globalisation and technological advancement. In response, governments sought to drive higher levels of performance in their education systems, introducing major reforms such as decentralisation, including school autonomy and accountability measures for schools and teachers. However, implementing these reforms proved extraordinarily challenging, as teachers’ unions – now deeply entrenched in the existing institutions – strongly resisted changes at different levels of policy-making venues as these reforms stood to erode their traditional sources of power and material benefits. The chapter demonstrates that in countries where union influence weakened, such as England and Sweden, significant performance reforms took hold, creating opportunities for traditionally marginalised groups from private sectors. Conversely, in countries where unions retained their dominance, such as France and Germany, the education system remained largely unchanged, reinforcing the status quo.