Disaffection exists because schools are not meeting the needs of many of our children; instead, the schools are alienating places which impose a curriculum for which many lack a literacy, and a regime which strips away individuality and expression. It's no wonder that so many students walk out the door and never come back. And it's no wonder that youth crime, apathy and unemployment are the end result.
This book examines a number of models being tried in the US to tackle disaffection. Many of public schools represent the nadir in education, where every year graduates leave high school unable to read or write --- yet it is also where some of the most enlightened and radical approaches can be found on how to make schools relevant and dynamic for pupils.
Reva Klein tells us: what it feels like to be turned off from school; why it happens to so many children; what schools are doing in the US and Britain to re-engage children in their education.
She describes new curricula and methodologies which allow students to develop their potential through non-traditional routes; and combines sound research with sharp observation and lively engaging writing.