In democracy "Athenian style" the sovereign authority lay with the people. This paper argues that genuine educational democratization may need such a framework. The arguments are presented in three parts. Part I examines the traditional conceptualization and its inherent weaknesses. Part 2 focuses on factors which I think should influence any reconceptualization. Part 3 outlines some principles of educational democratization to meet the goals of relevance for the 21st century: better value for money; internal consistency; and diffuse, open, and planned decision making.