The relevance of the presented research lies in the fact that, on the one hand, modern scientific and technological trends and geopolitical and economic conditions of development differ significantly from previous stages of development. On the other hand, given that economic development is carried out in a spiral, it is of interest to consider the experience of using management tools used in the previous round of technological development in the crisis phase of the 1970s, similar to the current crisis phase of socio-economic development of the 2020s. The purpose of the presented research is to consider the possibilities of using the provisions of the C. Lindblom school of education in the interests of the modern development of the education system, taking into account the challenges of the 21st century. The main result of the research is the formulation, based on the provisions of Ch. Linblom’s school of education, of proposals for the development of the national education system taking into account the challenges of the 21st century. The practical significance of the results obtained lies in the possibility of their use in training personnel, including managers and specialists in the system of additional professional education.