Schools of Hope : A New Agenda for School Improvement

The drive to improve schools is high on governments' agendas but what do we want for our children? Is education about meeting new targets in, say, mathematics or is it about developing socially responsible, creative and enthusiastic learners? This book examines the assumptions behind the current improvement drive and suggests that educational change in the 21st century must be about more than efficient school management. Schools need to engage with issues of democratic citizenship, critical thinking, creativity and community - achievement in the widest sense. The young are growing up in a fast changing and troubled world, affected by global events, notably of September 11 2001. They need schools which make each of them welcome, and which embody hope for a better future, an experience of democratic interaction, a vision of social justice.

Terry Wrigley is a lecturer in educational development at the University of Edinburgh.