Richard Pring, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Education, University of Oxford, called education policy 'a subject of constant praise and condemnation, especially when, as at present, radical changes are being made in England through the creation of academies and free schools outside the control of local authorities – a reversal of the arrangements established by the 1944 Education Act.'
It is exactly these radical changes which have made education policy so hard to understand in recent times. Dean Foster and Gillian Forrester confront these issues and more in their new book Education Policy Unravelled. Richard Pring calls the book 'a most valuable addition to educational books at a time when this kind of analysis is much needed' by providing an understanding of educational policy through 'a brief history of policy changes, illustrated by concrete examples (for example, the changes in higher education access and fee structure), but also through an examination of the underpinning discourse and the broader philosophical assumptions which underlie that discourse – often unacknowledged and unexamined.'
Education Policy Unravelled explores the nature of education policy, attempting to ‘unravel’ its meaning in the broadest and narrowest senses. The purpose of the book is to disaggregate education policy so that significant features and characteristics of policy-making and a number of related issues can be dismantled, separated out and examined indepth in order to illuminate particular and important enduring themes and trends as well as to encourage the reader to engage in deeper exploration. It is never possible to examine education policy purely on its own as a single, discrete entity.
Education policy-making does not ‘happen’ in a vacuum or bubble, but is subject to a range of competing influences, which can be broadly categorized under the umbrella of social, political, economic, technological, religious or cultural factors. The book therefore examines education policy in the context of a range of constituting factors that have all influenced and continue to impact upon education in a variety of ways. Education policy is constantly changing and, over time, different factors have had different levels of prominence; so education systems, organizations, educational activities, learners and those working in education have been shaped in a variety of ways at different points in time. Adding to this complexity is an assortment of different individuals, groups, events, movements, ideologies and perspectives that may in some way contribute to and shape policy ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’ at different historical moments.
Dean and Gillian's overriding aim in writing the book therefore rests upon conceptually ‘undoing’ and critically analysing the threads that together constitute the intricately woven tapestry of education and policy-making. Using concrete examples and pertinent illustrations from a variety of sources, we aim to facilitate readers’ understanding of key policy issues, facilitate an appreciation of the ‘contested terrain’ (Ozga, 2000) of education policy research and bring life to the field of education policy.
You can read the full introduction to Eduaction Policy Unravelled by clicking on our exclusive digial preview above. To find out more about the book visit our website. If you are a lecturer and interested in seeing this book on Inspection for potential course adoption please email jennifer.tighe@bloomsbury.com
‘We need to talk about education policy, and Dean Garratt and Gillian Forrester have provided the scholarship and agenda to be able to do this and to do this well. This is an ambitious text and they have presented not only a framework for engaging with policy, but also the debates about key issues challenging the security of public education. They show that we need to talk about matters to do with the curriculum and workforce, in schools and the post compulsory sector, and that these discussions need to be linked to bigger issues of social justice and democratic renewal. This is a book worth reading and thinking about tough issues with, and it will help children, parents, professionals and researchers to directly engage with issues that directly affect their engagement with education.’ Helen Gunter, Professor of Educational Policy, Leadership and Management, University of Manchester, UK
Jenny Tighe
Marketing Manager
