"A valuable addition to the debate around education" The Bookseller "Wise and useful...a highly enlightening primer" Tristram Hunt, The Guardian “Peter Mortimore has analysed the English education system from 'Buildings' to 'Bildung,' from 'Desirable outcomes' to 'Democracy' and from 'quality' to 'equality'. He has compared English with Nordic education and thereby been able to identify new weaknesses and strengths and thoughtful and innovative ways forward.” Lejf Moos, Aarhus University, Copenhagen. President of European Educational Research Association (EERA) “An expert voice to be trusted - and enjoyed. If you really want to understand what education is for and how we could create a high quality system, I urge you to read this book.” Melissa Benn, journalist and author of 'School Wars' "Anyone can read and understand it and come away with a much clearer idea of how our school system works, how it got that way and what needs to be done to rescue it" Francis Beckett, New Statesman "Anyone can read and understand it and come away with a much clearer idea of how our school system works, how it got that way and what needs to be done to rescue it" Francis Beckett, New Statesman "An important book which I hope will be widely read by parents, students, teachers, and all those who care about the education of our children. (It would be good if a few politicians read it, too)", Derek Gillard, Education in England "The book makes a credible attempt at explaining why there is a better alternative" Cole Armstrong, LSE Review of Books "Stimulating and thoroughly engaging" Sheila Dore, Journal of the Socialist Education Association "This is the book I wish i had been told to read at the start of my career in Education." Jon Rainford's blog