Education policy responses that are plausible in light of Germany's current and future economic and scientific competition include qualification initiatives and high-tech strategies, as well as innovation and investment programs, international educational cooperation, and support for young researchers. However, the principles and derived measures, which are formulated in a technocratic manner from an education policy perspective, are inherently inconsistent from a critical pedagogical standpoint. The study aims to identify fundamental inconsistencies in output-oriented instruments of educational quality management and highlights a number of dysfunctional contradictions in educational policy initiatives.