Drawing on key incident analysis of classroom transcripts from Bashkortostan, France, North Korea, and Suriname, this article discusses the relationship between an increasingly canonical content of education and the discursive organization of teaching processes at the expense of both teachers' and students' voice. It argues that canonical regimented educational contents often collide with a catechistic teaching style. This leads to teaching and learning practices that match dominant ideologies aiming at creating homogeneity rather than accepting heterogeneity. (Contains 1 table and 3 notes.)