The Best Years of Their Lives?: Pupil's Experiences of School

Based on structured research and interviews with pupils in years 10 and 11 (15 ^DDS 16 years old) about their views of the purpose of school and their own future employment and the way the two connect, this book offers a blistering critique of the purpose of education and its ability to prepare children for the world of work. The issues raised include: the purpose of school, the nature and quality of the curriculum, whether their time was well spent, whether what they learned was relevant, who influenced them, their views of industry and the world outside. Out of the mouths of babes, the truth comes tumbling and the result is a shocking indictment of an educational system that fails to deliver what it sets out to achieve.

Cedric Cullingford is Professor of Education at the University of Huddersfield.