Based on the views of teenagers across Europe and in the Far East, this book argues that we need to reconsider how we judge schools and what they are for. It shows that the treatment of pupils in schools makes more difference to teenagers' views on society, and on what it means to be fair, than it does to differences in attainment.

STEPHEN GORARD is Professor of Education Research at the University of Birmingham, UK. Recent publications include Overcoming the Barriers to Higher Education; Adult Learning in the Digital Age and Teacher Supply: The Key Issues. He is particularly interested in the process and quality of research, having recently led the UK ESRC Research Capacity-building Network, and an ESRC Researcher Development Initiative to improve the understanding of randomised controlled trials in social science.    EMMA SMITH is Reader in the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. She is interested in equity issues in the field of education and in the role that educational policy can play in reducing inequalities and closing achievement gaps. She is a former Chemistry teacher and SENCO and is currently carrying out research into pupils' views of fairness in school, as well as into patterns of participation in Higher Education science programmes.