Analysing Underachievement in Schools

Emma Smith examines the 'crisis' of falling standards and failing students and urges a re-evaluation of the underachievement debate

Underachievement in school is one of the most widely-used terms in education today. As a discourse, it has been responsible for influencing government policy, staffroom discussions, as well as the pages of academic journals and the TES.Underachievement in school is one of the most widely-used terms in education today. As a discourse, it has been responsible for influencing government policy, staffroom discussions, as well as the pages of academic journals and the TES. It is also a subject that raises questions about what we expect from a fair and equitable education system. This book provides a critical analysis of two sides of the underachievement debate, at each of the three levels of focus - international, the UK, and the individual. On the one hand, it considers the 'crisis account' of falling standards and failing pupils and, on the other, present an alternative account, which urges a re-evaluation of the underachievement debate in order to consider who might be underachieving and why.