Including into What? Reigniting the 'Good Education' Debate in an Age of Diversity

Abstract

This chapter provides a provocative discussion on what constitutes ‘good’ education in an era of competition and inequity. Drawing from philosophers (such as Plato and R. S. Peters) and educational theorists (such as Dewey, Freire, and Apple), Anderson and Boyle pose challenging questions which invite the reader to rethink the value and purpose of education, and its ability to be an agent of social change. Within the current socio-political zeitgeist, much responsibility for flattening the growing inequity curve is placed at the feet of schools, yet what happens within the confines of these institutions can only reflect what is taking place within the societies in which they operate. The authors explore the challenges this presents to schools and systems, as policy makers and educators manage the paradox of expectation; how to reduce inequality through education in a world of growing inequality. Most importantly, the authors appeal for a reconsideration of the purpose of schooling, and for a re-engagement with the debate about what ‘good’ education should look like in today’s diverse and everchanging world.