Table of Contents

Introduction to key concepts: education policy, economic necessity and public service reform; Class, comprehensives and continuities: a short history of English education policy; Current policy models and The UK government's approach to public service reform; Current key issues: forms of policy and forms of equity; A sociology of education policy: past, present and future.

About the Author

Stephen J. Ball is Karl Mannheim Professor of the Sociology of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. His work is in 'policy sociology' and he has conducted a series of ESRC-funded studies which focus on issues of social class and policy. He has an honorary doctorate from Turku University, Finland, is Visiting Professor at the University of San Andres, Argentina, and is a Fellow of the British Academy.

Reviews

"Stephen Ball provides the intellectual resources for understanding how education policy is produced, what it seeks to do and what its effects are. Theoretically and empirically adroit, it is essential reading for all those needing to understand education policy and politics." Bob Lingard, Andrew Bell Professor of Education, The University of Edinburgh "The Education Debate is a tour de force not only for its authority and penetration but also...its accessibility." Roger Brown in Higher Education Review "His introduction to key concepts should be required reading both for those engaged in policy making processes and those seeking to influence change in education." Rob Berkeley, Runnymede Bulletin