Product reviews for The Working Class

We are often told that -˜poverty is no excuse for underachievement'. Poverty is not an excuse - it is an explanation, and the contributors to this edited collection powerfully remind us that poverty matters. There can be no understanding the -˜achievement gaps' in schools without shining the spotlight on poverty and class in society today. This book does just that, and forces us to reject the lazy stereotypes of bad teachers and feckless children. The contributors remind us that if we mean what we say about inequality in education then we must take bold action to support working class children and their teachers, and at the same time confront the wider inequalities in society that blight the lives of children who live with poverty.

These contributors do not offer excuses. On the contrary, The Working Class is a manifesto of hope and humanity. It deserves to be widely read.