The right to education is generally accepted worldwide as a human right. Yet there are different forms to interpret it. The first divide is between those who are satisfied if access to school is provided and those who consider that the right is only accomplished if students succeed in their learning process. A second divide will be between those who conceive education as a public good and those who see it as a private matter to be dealt with in the economic market and according to the offer-demand laws. Neoliberalism reinforces this second view and attributes to school education a selection role. In this essay, we argue that the democratization of academic success though more modest than educational success is an important goal to insure the effectiveness of the right to education for all. Some data concerning the present situation in the world and more specifically at OECD and EU member countries will be presented to provide a basis for reflection. Finally, some main challenges facing the improvement of school education are highlighted beginning with the need and the conditions of pedagogical differentiation at school and classroom levels. Among those conditions, special attention is dedicated to teachers’ education and professional development.

Right to Education, Academic Success, Democratization Of Education, Pedagogical Differentiation, Teachers’ Professional Development