Some scholars argue that education systems across the western world are becoming increasingly similar due to the influence of transnational discourses and organizations. Others believe that education is the panacea for all problems of social cohesion. After all, aren't the well-educated usually more tolerant, civically engaged and trusting than the poorly educated? This book critically examines both claims. It finds that western countries still differ markedly on key aspects of their education systems and that these differences reflect distinct political traditions and different responses to a set of competing normative and political principles. The findings further suggest that raising the average education level is unlikely to be an effective strategy for promoting social cohesion. Instead, more promising are policies targeting the opposite ends of the lifelong learning continuum: universalizing pre-school education and care and promoting adult education with a pronounced second chance character.

Isabelle Dimeglio, Aix Marseille University, France Vanessa di Paola, Aix Marseille University, France François Dubet, University of Bordeaux, France Audrey Dumas, University of Perpignan Via Domitia (FR), France Marie DuruBellat, Sciences PoParis, France Andy Green, Institute of Education, University of London, UK Christine Han, Institute of Education, University of London, UK Bryony Hoskins, University of Southampton, UK Jan Germen Janmaat, Institute of Education, University of London, UK Tom May, Institute of Education, University of London UK Philippe Méhaut, Aix Marseille University, France Nathalie Mons, University of Cergy-Pontoise, France Paul Morris is a Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, UK Tarek Mostafa, Institute of Education, University of London, UK Stéphanie Moullet, Aix-Marseille University, France Noémie Olympio, Institute of Labour Economics and Industrial Sociology (LEST-CNRS), France Rebecca Ridley, University of Southampton, School of Education, UK Yannick Savina, Sciences Po & CNRS, France Eric Verdier, Aix-Marseille University, France Antoine Vérétout, University of Bordeaux, France