The Socially Just School: Making Space for Youth to Speak Back (Explorations of Educational Purpose Book 29)

Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction, Argument and Organisation....Pages 1-19 Socially Critical Youth Voice....Pages 21-41 Socially Critical Culture of School Reform....Pages 43-67 Socially Critical School/Community Relations....Pages 69-91 Socially Critical Pedagogy of Teaching....Pages 93-110 Socially Critical Curriculum....Pages 111-132 Socially Critical Leadership....Pages 133-154 Socially Critical Approach to Work....Pages 155-170 Critically Educated Hope....Pages 171-181 Back Matter....Pages 183-195 This Book Explores Schools And How They Can Function As Social Institutions That Advance The Interests And Life Chances Of All Young People, Especially Those Who Are Already The Most Marginalized And At An Educational Disadvantage. Social Justice Is A Key Theme As The Book Examines The Needs Of Youth, The Concept Of School Culture, School/community Relations, Socially Critical Pedagogy, Curriculum And Leadership, And A Socially Critical Approach To Work.the Socially Just School Is Based Upon Four Decades Of Intensive Writing And Researching Of Young Lives. This Work Presents An Alternative To The Damaging School Reform In Which Schools Are Made To Serve The Interests Of The Economy, Education Systems, The Military, Corporate Or National Interests. Readers Will Discover The Hallmarks Of Socially Just Schools: - They Educationally Engage Young People Regardless Of Class, Race, Family Or Neighbourhood Location, And They Engage Them Around Their Own Educational Aspirations. - They Regard All Young People As Being Morally Entitled To A Rewarding And Satisfying Experience Of School, Not Only Those Whose Backgrounds Happen To Fit With The Values Of Schools. - They Treat Young People As Having Strengths And Being 'at Promise' Rather Than Being 'at Risk' And With 'deficits' Or As 'bundles Of Pathologies' To Be Remedied Or 'fixed'. - They Are 'active Listeners' To The Lives And Cultures Of Their Students And Communities, And They Construct Learning Experiences That Are Embedded In Young Lives. This Highly Readable Book Will Appeal To Students And Scholars In Education And Sociology, As Well As To Teachers And School Administrators With An Interest In Social Justice. John Smyth, Barry Down, Peter Mcinerney. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. This book explores schools and how they can function as social institutions that advance the interests and life chances of all young people, especially those who are already the most marginalized and at an educational disadvantage. Social justice is a key theme as the book examines the needs of youth, the concept of school culture, school/community relations, socially critical pedagogy, curriculum and leadership, and a socially critical approach to work. The Socially Just School is based upon four decades of intensive writing and researching of young lives. This work presents an alternative to the damaging school reform in which schools are made to serve the interests of the economy, education systems, the military, corporate or national interests. Readers will discover the hallmarks of socially just schools: - They educationally engage young people regardless of class, race, family or neighbourhood location, and they engage them around their own educational aspirations. - They regard all young people as being morally entitled to a rewarding and satisfying experience of school, not only those whose backgrounds happen to fit with the values of schools. - They treat young people as having strengths and being 'at promise' rather than being 'at risk' and with 'deficits' or as 'bundles of pathologies' to be remedied or 'fixed'. - They are 'active listeners' to the lives and cultures of their students and communities, and they construct learning experiences that are embedded in young lives. This highly readable book will appeal to students and scholars in education and sociology, as well as to teachers and school administrators with an interest in social justice