Philip Dixon is a highly regarded commentator on the Welsh education scene, and a regular contributor to the press and media. Born and educated in the Rhondda, he holds MAs from Oxford and Louvain, and a PhD from Cambridge and was the Director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) in Wales from 2005 to 2016.

• 1. Welsh Education Pre- and Post-Devolution 2. The Grand Narrative 3. A Child's Journey in Wales 4. Curriculum and Assessment 5. Qualifications 6. The Hour of Reckoning 7. So, where do we go from here?

'This is an extraordinarily insightful and thought-provoking book. Philip paints a breath-taking picture of the education system in Wales, shining a light into every corner of the system and down almost every corridor of power, before concluding that Wales has a seriously underperforming education system. Critically, however, Philip sets out his views about what now needs to be done, including how we encourage more 'heretics' throughout the system; people who will attempt to contest accepted orthodoxies, to stimulate debate and offer radically alternative approaches. We need look no further than this book to see how valuable this could be. Professor Chris Taylor, Cardiff University; 'An extraordinarily objective account of the state of Welsh education. There is no self-pitying, no lazy scapegoating, no intellectual 'huddling round a brazier' in this book. It is a frank and at times damning indictment of the policies and politicians who have allowed Wales to slide into education's international 'third division'. But it is fair, lucid and incredibly perceptive.';Gerard Kelly, Former Editor of the Times Educational Supplement

Philip Dixon is a highly regarded commentator on the Welsh education scene, and a regular contributor to the press and media. Born and educated in the Rhondda, he holds MAs from Oxford and Louvain, and a PhD from Cambridge and was the Director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) in Wales from 2005 to 2016.

• 1. Welsh Education Pre- and Post-Devolution 2. The Grand Narrative 3. A Child's Journey in Wales 4. Curriculum and Assessment 5. Qualifications 6. The Hour of Reckoning 7. So, where do we go from here?

'This is an extraordinarily insightful and thought-provoking book. Philip paints a breath-taking picture of the education system in Wales, shining a light into every corner of the system and down almost every corridor of power, before concluding that Wales has a seriously underperforming education system. Critically, however, Philip sets out his views about what now needs to be done, including how we encourage more 'heretics' throughout the system; people who will attempt to contest accepted orthodoxies, to stimulate debate and offer radically alternative approaches. We need look no further than this book to see how valuable this could be. Professor Chris Taylor, Cardiff University; 'An extraordinarily objective account of the state of Welsh education. There is no self-pitying, no lazy scapegoating, no intellectual 'huddling round a brazier' in this book. It is a frank and at times damning indictment of the policies and politicians who have allowed Wales to slide into education's international 'third division'. But it is fair, lucid and incredibly perceptive.';Gerard Kelly, Former Editor of the Times Educational Supplement

Philip Dixon is a highly regarded commentator on the Welsh education scene, and a regular contributor to the press and media. Born and educated in the Rhondda, he holds MAs from Oxford and Louvain, and a PhD from Cambridge and was the Director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) in Wales from 2005 to 2016.

• 1. Welsh Education Pre- and Post-Devolution 2. The Grand Narrative 3. A Child's Journey in Wales 4. Curriculum and Assessment 5. Qualifications 6. The Hour of Reckoning 7. So, where do we go from here?

'This is an extraordinarily insightful and thought-provoking book. Philip paints a breath-taking picture of the education system in Wales, shining a light into every corner of the system and down almost every corridor of power, before concluding that Wales has a seriously underperforming education system. Critically, however, Philip sets out his views about what now needs to be done, including how we encourage more 'heretics' throughout the system; people who will attempt to contest accepted orthodoxies, to stimulate debate and offer radically alternative approaches. We need look no further than this book to see how valuable this could be. Professor Chris Taylor, Cardiff University; 'An extraordinarily objective account of the state of Welsh education. There is no self-pitying, no lazy scapegoating, no intellectual 'huddling round a brazier' in this book. It is a frank and at times damning indictment of the policies and politicians who have allowed Wales to slide into education's international 'third division'. But it is fair, lucid and incredibly perceptive.';Gerard Kelly, Former Editor of the Times Educational Supplement