This chapter provides a cross-societal discussion of the findings of the "Schooling for the future" study, the case studies. It examines why senior educators and policy leaders in each of the six case study societies believe that bureaucratic school systems are the most likely scenario for the future even though these are not the most desired. It examines some of the key factors that account for senior educators and policy leaders' views, and the changes they argue are needed to achieve the desired scenario for the future. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the contribution and the implications of the study for the usefulness of the OECD scenarios as policy tools.