The author uses statistics and empirical data of sociological studies from the 1960s to the 2000s to show the influence of external factors (economical, political, demographical, and also social policy) on functioning of the school. The result is the sum of several components. Changes in percentage of young people involved in schooling which are following changes in society are shown. School enrollment is analyzed on the basis of data on the transfer between the levels of education by age cohorts. Social nature of dropouts is demonstrated.