Overschooled but Undereducated: How the crisis in education is jeopardizing our adolescents - Hardcover

Abbott, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1855396238 ISBN 13: 9781855396234

Publisher: Continuum, 2010

Synopsis

Based on the premise that education has to be about much more than intellectual development, this book calls for the transformation of the education system.

About this title

About the Author

John Abbott is president of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, a transnational association of educational researchers and practitioners based in the UK. Following a long career as a teacher and headteacher in England, John became director of Education 2000, spearheading nine community-wide education projects in the UK. He lectures around the world on new understandings about learning and is the author of several books including Learning Makes Sense (1994) and The Child is Father of the Man: How Humans Learn and Why (1999).

Heather McTaggart is the Executive Director of Classroom Connections in Canada.

Review

'This remarkable work... is at the same time profoundly scholarly and eminently accessible. It is nothing less than a tour de force, and it is a privilege to recommend it unreservedly.'

Sir Gustav Nossal, former President of the Australian Academy of Science.

'This may well be the most important and significant book that young people and those involved with education will read.'

Maureen Nitek, The Clarendon College, Wiltshire.

'I read this book with great interest and almost entire agreement.'

Dr Eric Anderson, former Headmaster and Provost of Eton College.

'This penetrating exploration burrows through to the heart of the malaise which has stifled so much education in the 21st century... a provocative and bold manifesto for change.'

Dr Jonathan Long, Principal of the United World College of India.

'This brilliantly rich, historical and philosophical background makes this a landmark work.'

Dr Helen Drennen, Principal of Wesley College, Australia.

'For anyone... who cares about adolescents Overschooled but Undereducated should be compulsory reading. It will fill you with joy at the potential within young people when given the opportunity to do what is natural to them, to learn and to think for themselves.'

Janet Lawley, former Headteacher of Bury Girls' School.

"This is a fascinating and insightful book and clearly keys into a widespread concern about 'teaching to the test' and politicians interfering more than ever to prescribe what and how teachers teach"

Culture Wars

'Politicians really should take note. Poor beleaguered Ed Balls, in desperate need of a workable education policy, should really buy a copy of Abbott's book, co-authored with Heather MacTaggart. Overschooled but Undereducated, the title says it all. It's just the lesson Balls needs'

Prue Leith, The Spectator

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 "I know from personal experience of 50 years of dedication tothe responsible subversion of our school system that it can work. I haveexperienced the speed and effectiveness of transformation carried outpractically along the lines Abbott suggests. I, too, have learnt what is neededfor this to be successful. Concrete examples of what happens when these mattersare attended to in this way are desperately needed. This is necessary toaccompany the masterly narrative and analysis by Abbott of how we got into thishole and how we can begin to dig our way out of it."
Philip Toogood, Personalised Education Now

"This splendidly readable treatise argues that for years in the Western world our education system has got adolescence spectacularly wrong. Far from being a problem time, it is a glorious opportunity. ... The book challenges people like me to recast my view on adolescents. To let them think and do."

Church Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Continuum
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1855396238
• ISBN 13: 9781855396234
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336