Education Policy

Education is seen as central to social mobility and equality and, following a drive to raise learners’ aspirations, an ‘aspiration industry’ has emerged. This book traces education policy developments and argues that for learners to have aspirations that do not require qualifications should be regarded as different, not wrong.

This book explores a wide diversity of approaches to help understand the policy movement phenomena, providing a useful guide on global studies in education, as well as insights into the future of this dynamic area of work.

Peter Scott examines the development of mass higher education and calls for robust action to secure fair access at all levels and changes in the governance and management at both system and institutional levels to ensure more democratic accountability.

COVID-19 has widened inequalities in schools and left the future uncertain. Richard Riddell argues that the increasingly narrow focus of education governance has made new thinking impossible and has degraded public life. Nevertheless, he highlights new possibilities for democratic behaviour and the opening up of schooling to all it serves.

Bringing concepts from critical transitional justice and critical peacebuilding into dialogue with education, this book examines the challenges faced by youth in the post-conflict settings of Bougainville and Solomon Islands, illustrating the vital importance of education in post-conflict recovery.

This book recaptures the buried history of the household science movement, including domestic science teaching, public health, higher education for women and the scientific content and aims of domestic science courses.

Based on the Transforming Lives research project, this book explores the transformative power of further education. Outlining a critical approach to educational research and practice, the book draws on the testimonies of students and teachers to construct a model of transformative teaching and learning.