Pearson argues powerfully that underclass students, many of whom are Aboriginal, should receive a rigorous schooling that gives them the means to negotiate the wider world. He examines the long-term failure of educational policy in Australia, especially in the indigenous sector, and asks why it is always 'Groundhog Day' when there are lessons to be learned from innovations now underway.
Pearson introduces new findings from research and practice, and takes on some of the most difficult and controversial issues. Throughout, he searches for the radical centre - the way forward that will raise up the many, preserve culture, and ensure no child is left behind.
'Essential reading for all who care about the true nature of the society we have created in Australia' -Alex Miller
'Noel Pearson is the best political and social essayist in the country' -Michael Gawenda, Crikey