The concept of equal opportunities has a long tradition in educational policy. In the 1960s, school education came again to be widely regarded as primarily an instrument of social engineering and the most appropriate way to deal with the social ills we suffered. Being a standard term in the sociology of education for over half a century, we can consider it to be a container concept that is open to severable interpretations. As such, a brief analysis of the debates about the meaning and provision of equal educational opportunity from an educational perspective is desirable. In this article, I will discuss four different conceptions of equality, each referring to differing notions of justice. Meritocratic equality is the central model for educational justice in most democratic societies. From this perspective, equal starting chances constitute the firm basis of a ‘fair situation’ where each has equal opportunities to develop her own talents. The distributive equality logic justifies to give preferential treatment to the less favoured. It is based on the difference principle postulating that inequalities can actually be just as long as they are to the benefit of the least well off. Thirdly, social equality of opportunities focuses on the question what should be warranted for all. The plea is one in defence of a broad common curriculum and equal outcomes. In the three approaches above, the conceptualisation of equality is deduced from a particular societal order. The individual equality position focuses and questions the consequences of these initiatives at an individual level. Equality of opportunities seems to be a competitive principle: protection, provision and participation rights are offered to all, but it is up to the individual to make these opportunities meaningful in her own life. Here, a philosophical-educational approach can put things in a different light. Looking at the everyday social practices of minority groups (in this case irregular migrants), the meaning for and consequences of the different approaches to equal opportunities can be questioned. In what sense is the container concept of equal opportunities helpful for educational policy making in realising the ‘universal right to education’ that we are being willing to offer? Conclusions will be drawn on how the universal right can be brought from a legal provision into a vivid practice in an educationally promising way.

cf. proposal

cf. proposal