The role of education often falls into a larger framework of institutions found in society including family, religion, politics, economics and health – among others. As such, education is constantly adapting – with varying degrees of success. Our interviews and book recommendations pertaining to education cover a diverse range of factors influencing education such as: inequality, globalisation, economic development, gender and information.

Teaching is a complex personal and social achievement. The work of teachers is endowed with personal meaning – as such, we have a broad range of interviews with experts that explore the varied roles of teaching and achievement – covering everything from happiness to educational tests, leadership to philosophy, teaching maths and the idea of success.

Jacqueline Leighton, professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta chooses her best books on Educational Testing, as does André Rupp, research director at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey. Les Back, professor of sociology at Goldsmiths’, University of London chooses his best books on Academia, and discusses what he values about universities and how he sees them being threatened.
Alf Coles chooses his best books on teaching maths and Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of Education and History at NYU, chooses his best books on sex education and discusses the complexities of teaching that subject. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Peg Tyre, chooses the best books on educating your child and Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington DC’s public school system, chooses the best books on American education.

Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, choose his best books on the crisis in education. He argues that, far from needing to be relevant, the purpose of education is “precisely to engage you people with issues that do not arise out of their immediate experience.”