This paper suggests possible frames of reference for understanding education and educational policy in the Eastern part of Europe. (a) According to the geographical frame, the concept of "Eastern Europe" and its education reflects a struggle for political power and self-identity. (b) According to the political frame, the transition of 1989/1990 opened up a "third political way" between capitalism and socialism for a few decisive years. (c) According to the cultural anthropological frame, the distance between Western and Eastern European education is not only a modernization gap, but also a cultural gap which needs comparative cultural analysis.