Product reviews for Educating Ruby

In 'Educating Ruby: What our children really need to learn' it is evident that Professors Guy Claxton and Bill Lucas are very passionate about the subject of improving our schools. They have been influential in education for a long time with their thinking. I have known their academic publications since I first started teaching ten years ago and without doubt they have strongly influenced my and other teachers' practice with their ideas, especially in regard to BLP (Building Learning Power).

'Educating Ruby', however, is not a dry academic publication. It is written for anyone interested in education and it invites the reader, be it a parent or someone with an interest in education, to gain more understanding of the educational landscape we find ourselves in today. The writing resembles a conversation in its serious yet accessible tone, but undoubtedly triggers a lot of thought; especially as they promote the seven -˜C's (confidence, curiosity, collaboration, communication, creativity, commitment and craftsmanship) as the cornerstones of their vision of education.

Throughout 'Educating Ruby' the authors also recognise that education is currently undergoing a shift and that many schools across the country have already moved forward in their thinking and taken steps to improve children's experience of their school years. Therefore it is reassuring that so much of what is mentioned in 'Educating Ruby' is already happening within many schools. Claxton and Lucas extend the invitation to think about taking part in improving children's education to a wider audience such as parents. This certainly comes at the right time; all stakeholders seem to be very open-minded about improving education in general and schools in particular.



Consequently, it is appropriate that 'Educating Ruby' finishes with a large chapter guiding parents on how to influence the directions schools take, to make the experience of school years more fulfilling for their children. I welcome this dialogue between parents and school leaders, as we all have to take a responsible part in preparing our young people for their future. From the standpoint of an educator Educating Ruby could have included similar chapters for policymakers and school leaders but I'm sure that this will be covered in another publication.