Historically, many European education systems were hierarchically structured, and schools were externally steered by governmental bodies. The introduction of New Public Management prompted a shift towards decentralised school development, separating strategic and operational school management. This transition has led to the introduction of comprehensive quality management (QM) systems across Europe to ensure desirable developments in schools, including the vocational education and training (VET) sector. Using an educational governance perspective, this study analyses how QM is framed in selected European countries and how this reflects educational governance differently. The study focuses on Austria, Germany, and Spain, considering their distinct educational governance regimes and VET systems. The theoretical framework is grounded in the concept of educational governance as a complex interaction of stakeholders. The method used for the study involves a documental analysis of government reports, recommendations, regulations, and research studies. The findings show that two central functions of QM prevail in the countries analysed. In the formal VET system, accountability and performance functions seem to take precedence. In the non-formal VET system, the marketing function is predominant. However, quality development and improvement at the level of teaching and learning is more of a secondary aspect.