Is it a prison? An office block? A media center? School architecture is one of the field's greatest challenges, but, for political and financial reasons, rarely gets the attention it deserves. OASE 72 observes the unusual example of the Netherlands, where a combination of policy changes and new design challenges have recently bumped this issue up on the public agenda. The renewed interest springs in part from an issue of global concern: the new demands of today's information society. Schools are also increasingly infiltrated by extra-curricular functions, and ideological and pedagogical distinctions are making way for a view of the institution as a learning environment focused on the individual. OASE 72 presents contemporary strategies and close readings of plans and images of school projects from the past, revealing connections (sometimes unexpected) between design, program, representation and ideology that are relevant to a critical reflection on today's school architecture.