The inequality of opportunity that sometimes results from educational reform may not be an artifact or an aberration but may be the intended result of most programs. Although the ostensible goal of most educational reform is equal opportunity, very few programs achieve this goal. It is possible that the real goal of educational reform is continued control by the elite rather than the enfranchisement of the disenfranchised. Evidence lies in the fact that many educational reforms are unsuccessful or have useless goals. For instance, competency testing programs have not been shown to enhance academic skills, and tests for many such programs either have absurdly low standards or cancel hope of a diploma for the disadvantaged. Many maintain that functional literacy examinations are biased against the black and the poor. It appears too that compensatory education funds reward those who do not learn. Critics maintain that government agencies have the opportunity to provide testing guidelines above politics but do not do so. Finally, although a strong cabinet-level education department would benefit the disadvantaged, many critics are against this reform. All these so-called "artifacts" suggest that some educational programs may be designed to maintain current societal relationships. (Author/JM)