This article analyses the historical, cultural and societal background of hegemonies in education, school politics and school reforms, as observed during three phases of modernity (according to Zygmunt Bauman). Solid modernity has been associated with authoritarian traits, and it caused for decades a confusion concerning teacher authority and moral education. This came to be typical in liquid modernity that in its turn was accused of ambivalence, value relativism and laissez-fair attitudes. Then it was time for a second reaction; towards our time a new solidity developed, celebrating achievement and productivity, competence and competition, testing and assessment. This may take our awareness from questions concerning goals and values. Such goals should be represented in curriculum by key issues, representing crucial ethical questions of our time, different from pure competence aims preparing for adult productivity. Several young people feel a lack of meaning under the burden of self-construction, and some of them suffer from burnout or depression. If school is supposed to contribute to the feeling of being included in society, we need a kind of education that is conceived of as meaningful.