Kim Beasy – författare

This book is a curated collection of international chapters focused on the reform of K-12 schools. Three key, yet different cultural, economic, and political settings are highlighted: Australia, the UK, and the US. Within their own context, each author details the required reforms that would maximize learning for all students. The intersectionalities of factors such a race, gender, class, ethnicity, disability, language, and economic inequities, are interrogated for their impact on the efficacy of reform strategies. Authors explore both a range of dysfunctional factors which have historically limited the efficacy of school reform initiatives, and detail a variety of forward-looking and cutting edge alternative reforms. Thus, this text can serve to stimulate a much need dialogue about the reconceptualization of schools in the future. Moreover, the cross-cultural analysis can focus this dialogue on both the similarities and differences in varying cultural settings.

This book focuses on the complex relationship between education and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights how important context is for both critiquing and achieving the Goals though education, given the critical role teachers, schools and curriculum play in young people’s lives. Readers will find examples of thinking and practice across the spectrum of education and training sectors, both formal and informal. The book adds to the increasing body of literature that recognises that education is, and must be, in its praxis, at the heart of all the SDGs. As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, we have a clear understanding of the wicked and complex crises regarding the health of life on our planet, and we cannot ignore the high levels of anxiety our young people are experiencing about their future. Continuing in the direction of unsustainable exploitation of people and nature is no longer an option if life is to have a flourishing future.

The book illustrates how SDGs are supported in and by education and training, showcasing the conditions necessary to ensure SDGs are fore fronted in policy reform. It includes real-world examples of SDGs in education and training contexts, as well as novel critiques of the SDGs in regard to their privileging of anthropocentrism and neoliberalism.

This book is beneficial to academics, researchers, post graduate and tertiary students from all fields relating to education and training. It is also of interest to policy developers from across disciplines and government agencies who are interested in how the SDGs relate to education.