To provide quality education for all is a central ideal of the Nordic welfare states. In addressing this aim, both social inequality and increased cultural diversity must be considered. Though cultural diversity, represented by the presence of migrant children, is politically defined as a central challenge in schools, the theoretical position explicitly dealing with such challenges – multicultural education – does not appear to have a prominent place in the Danish education debate. Rather, the debate is dominated by the contradiction between a Bildung oriented position and a position focused on school effectiveness. Based on reflections on the relationship between Bildung, multicultural education and learnification as responses to the challenge of ensuring quality education for all, it is discussed how Bildung oriented education may be rethought in a Nordic context in light of increased global competition and cultural diversity.

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