This chapter examines the mounting unease regarding the project of public education. By the mid-1960s, technocratic, Afrocentric, and Marxist critiques articulated a growing sense of worldwide educational crisis. These critiques presented differently in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, but in both countries popular frustrations were palpable. In response, both states attempted to reform public schooling: by introducing manual training in Ghanaian middle schools and television sets in Ivorian primary schools. Both reforms failed spectacularly, ultimately confirming the state’s abdication of its promise that education would lead to a better future for all. Public education systems crumbled along with public faith in the state, creating space for the privatization of education. The erosion of the anticolonial development ideology helped pave the way for neoliberalism to take root.

This chapter considers Pater’s public persona. It addresses how his position as a university academic, public lecturer and intellectual, and subject of (mis)representation in parodies such as The New Republic by W. H. Mallock, shaped his life and reputation. It places the evolution of Pater’s public life in the context of late-Victorian culture and society, including attention to Oxford’s secularisation and curriculum changes, journalistic practices, and career setbacks. In doing so, this chapter shows Pater’s ambition as an intellectual and how this shaped his career and writing.

This chapter addresses one of the most important areas of philosophy – ethics – and uses it to examine aspects of the role of the law in education. Of all the areas of philosophy, more has probably been written about ethics, and over a longer period, than any other. In addition, all cultures are structured around a fundamental ethical system: the law. However, irrespective of their importance, both subjects are currently notable for their lowly status within the teacher education curriculum.

This chapter argues that the issue of ‘truth’ has played a foundational role, not only within the discipline of philosophy but also within many different aspects of Australian culture. However, there seems to be little agreement on what it really is, and while some philosophers contend that truth is a meaningless concept – a linguistic mirage – most would argue there’s something of importance there, but what is it? Even if we struggle to determine the real nature of truth – as we did with the real nature of right and wrong in Chapter 14 – at least we structure our culture, our knowledges and our school curricula around stuff we know to be unequivocally true … or do we? Arguably, many of the assumptions we make, often derived from five centuries of European colonialism, do not stand up to close scrutiny. They are often ‘truths’ that suit particular interests of the powerful, and subtly act to reinforce their worldview.

This chapter examines the rather ambiguous notion of alternative education. To some, sending a child to a Catholic school constitutes an alternative education; to others, nothing short of a total rejection of the central parameters of the mass school deserves the label – such as the elimination of timetables, authority relations, organised curricula, fixed learning goals, even the notion that pupils are to be schooled in any way at all. It’s a subject that often engenders no little passion in those who embrace the categorisation, and no little ridicule among those who do not. Strange though some of the alternative education options might seem, they are all worthy of serious consideration – but what exactly are they?

This chapter surveys the scholarship on linguistics in education and analyzes the status of linguistics in language education master’s programs. Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) system to define the data field, we searched the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for institutions conferring degrees between 2011-2020 for CIP code 13.14, the designation for master’s programs in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. From this list, we analyzed available curricula for both MA/MS TESOL degree and MA/MS in elementary, secondary, or adult education language teacher training. Considering programs across 255 institutions, we analyzed linguistics courses as required, elective, or not present. Results reveal that linguistics is integrated at variable rates. Focusing on four core subdisciplines, TESOL fares better: Introductory linguistics was required 69% of the time, sociolinguistics 41.5%, syntax/grammar 53%, and second language acquisition (SLA) 70%. A more dismal picture appears for the other language education group: Introductory linguistics was required 6% of the time, sociolinguistics 6%, syntax/grammar 4%, and SLA 12%. This study demonstrates that language teachers require more robust linguistics education to better equip them for serving language learners’ needs.

This introductory chapter provides the rationale for this topic and framing of the book. The strength and tools of linguistics can contribute greatly to teacher effectiveness in the second language classroom, yet the two professional realms have developed largely independently of one another. This chapter introduces the argument for strengthening the role of linguistics in second language study as well as establishing the place of second language data in linguistics inquiry and education, bringing together the two disciplines around the actual realities of language itself. It introduces the chapter content and flow of the book, the breadth represented in topics and authors, intended audience, special features of the chapters, and perspectives from second language acquisition to help bridge the gap between disciplines.

This chapter explores the potential of realist evaluation methodology to uncover the complexity of implementing an English for Specific Purposes programme at a Saudi university. Realist evaluation draws on the principle of retroduction, which necessitates the redescription of causal components of an event into theoretically significant terms for a closer approximation to reality. The chapter investigates the interaction between underlying causal mechanisms and teachers’ reasonings that operate in a particular context, an interaction which leads to particular outcomes. To this end, we outline how the English for Specific Purposes programme was conceptualised, designed, and implemented, before we explain how relevant theories were defined by analysing the responses of the teachers who implemented the programme. The findings highlight the importance of viewing the role of ESP teachers and acknowledging the need for collaboration across disciplinary boundaries. The study provides further insight into the process of theorising from participants’ responses in the study of both embedded practices and underlying causal mechanisms operating within a specific professional community.

This response details how curricula can be developed that position sustainability as central to children’s learning, illustrated through three diverse case studies. The University of Cambridge Primary School designed a curriculum around transdisciplinary knowledge categories, incorporating experiential learning and local issues. The “Pani Pahar” curriculum uses experiential learning to teach Indian children about water resources and the effects of climate change, encouraging student reflection and activism. Lastly, the Harmony Project incorporates the seven principles of nature’s harmony into its curriculum to promote a holistic understanding of sustainability and the interconnectedness of the natural world.

This response provides a practical guide to incorporating philosophical discourse in classrooms to help children grapple with life’s big questions. It outlines three approaches to integrating philosophy into curricula: firstly, launching units of learning on any subject with philosophical discussions based on overarching themes such as power, freedom or eternity; secondly, designating a half term as a period for focusing on philosophy and ethics, using an overarching question to guide exploration; and thirdly, a project whereby each week a member of the school community poses a big question for discussion. Implementation of these approaches can improve students’ oracy skills, self-esteem and overall well-being.

The response provides examples of children’s voices have been promoted in classrooms. The first example from the University of Cambridge Primary School is a Class Congress that is designed to be inclusive and involves weekly discussion sessions between all children and the senior leadership team. It builds on the well-established Oracy and Dialogue curriculum at the school and helps to develop the children’s sense of agency. The second example is Project Dhun, an initiative from the Dhun School for Now in India. The school is built on three pillars: Self, Community and Planet. These pillars encourage students to connect with their individual skills, collaborate with their community and engage with the natural world. The school emphasises experimental, project-based learning. It features unique spaces, such as a nature lab, in which the role of the teacher is evolved to be a facilitator.

This chapter describes the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) and the mhGAP-Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at scaling up suicide prevention and management services to bridge unmet need.The mhGAP-IG is an evidence-based tool for mental disorders with structured and operationalised guidelines for clinical decision-making targeting non-specialist community and primary care workers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Over the course of seven years, the Tata center recruited and trained more than 200 graduate students from 18 different MIT departments to design and implement energy solutions that are practical and reliable in the developing world. Their work produced 45 patents, 12 commercial licenses, and over a dozen startups. This chapter demonstrates the method for implementing similar programs, with a focus on energy-related research projects. The program leaders describe their project as “CPR for Engineers,” with a three-axis model focusing on developing Compassion, Practice, and Research.