Governments need to be aware, then, that ideology is important in setting the agenda and structuring discourse. Ideology can lead to an emphasis on equality of opportunity and structure the way that phrase is interpreted. Alternatively, it can make such issues invisible. Ideology can lead policy- makers to target particular groups for attention - females, parents, members of minority ethnic groups or teachers - and shape the way they are perceived. Ideology can shape the discursive repertoires that are used, and hence the ways in which education is thought about by the population at large