The New Labour Government puts Education, Education, Education at the heart of its agenda but is it doing enough to combat educational disadvantage?Combating Educational Disadvantage sets the discussion of educational disadvantage within the socio-political context of the 1980s and 1990s, with its market philosophy in education and brings together the contributions of leading writers and researchers of international standing.

Foreword Ronald Davie, 1. Introduction Theo Cox, Part 1: 1. Vulnerable Groups, 2. Ethnic Minorities in Britain: New Disadvantages Sally Tomlinson, 3. Boys' Underachievement: Social Class and Changing Masculinites Helen Lucey and Valerie Walkerdine, 4. Pupil Absenteeism in the Primary School Maurice Chazan, Part 2: Meeting the Needs of the Disadvantaged, 7. Recognising Differences: Reinterpreting Family Involvement in Early Literacy, 8. Early Childhood Education to Ensure a 'Fair Start' for All Kathy Sylva, 9. Pupils' Perspectives on their Education Theo Cox, 10. Can School Improvement Overcome the Effects of Disadvantage? Peter Mortimore and Geoff Whitty, 11. LEAs. The Problem or the Solution? Anne Sofer, 12. Combating Unequal Access to Education - the Work of an LEA Educational Psychology Service Irvine Gersch and Associates, 13. Coordinated Services for Disadvantaged Children: an International Perspective Peter Evans, 14. The Social, Economic and Political Climate in the United States and the Education of People of Color Carl Grant, 15. Support for Lifelong Learning John MacBeath, 16. Overview Theo Cox.