Publisher's Synopsis
This is the book that authoritatively states the case for comprehensive schooling in the 21st Century. The arguments that transformed secondary education in the 1960's and 70's have even greater relevance now as Tony Benn reminds us: "This book is essential reading for all those who care about the future of schools. It comes out at a time when new Parliament has just been elected and the politicians that are being advocated by the Government are clearly designed to re-introduce selection by stealth, and must be challenged head on if we are to avoid being thrown back into an old system that has done such damage in the past. The so-called commitment to meritocracy is nothing more than a slogan to produce a small elite that can be trusted to run the country in the interests of a global economy and train the rest not to ask questions but to obey orders. Those who have contributed the chapters here are all highly experienced in the field of education and what they have to say is of greatest importance to all".
