Underachievement in school is one of the most widely used terms in education today. As a discourse, it has been responsible for influencing government policy, staffroom discussions, as well as the pages of academic journals and the TES. It is also a subject which raises questions about what we expect from a fair and equitable education system. This book provides a critical analysis of two sides of the underachievement debate, at each of the three levels of focus - international, the UK and the individual. On the one hand, it will consider the 'crisis' account; of falling standards and failing pupils and, on the other, present an alternative account, which urges a re-evaluation of the underachievement debate in order to consider who might be underachieving and why.

Emma Smith examines the 'crisis' of falling standards and failing students and urges a re-evaluation of the underachievement debate

About the Author
Emma Smith is Lecturer in Education at the University of Birmingham, UK.


Book Information
ISBN 9780826494870
Author Dr Emma Smith
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 360g