Burke, Catherine (University of Cambridge, UK)

The School I'd Like: Revisited: Children and Young People's Reflections on an Education for the Future Burke, Catherine (University of Cambridge, UK) 2nd edition

Wonderfully illuminated by children's essays, stories, poems, pictures and plans, this groundbreaking book offers a unique snapshot of the perceptions of today's school pupils?. [French bookstore Lavoisier www.lavoisier.fr]

In 2001, The Guardian launched a ground-breaking competition called The School I'd Like, in which young people were asked to imagine their ideal school. This vibrant, ground-breaking book presents material drawn from that competition, offering a unique snapshot of perceptions of today's schools by those who matter most - the pupils.  In 2011, The Guardian re-launched the competition and this fully revised new edition reflects upon the next generation of entries and summarises, through the children?s insightful commentary, what has changed over the intervening decade.

The book is wonderfully illuminated by children's essays, stories, poems, pictures and plans. Placing their views in the centre of the debate, it provides an evaluation of the democratic processes involved in teaching and learning by:

? identifying consistencies in children's expressions of how they wish to learn
? highlighting particular sites of 'disease' in the education system today
? illustrating how the built environment is experienced by today's children
? posing questions about the reconstruction of teaching and learning for the twenty-first century.

This book offers a powerful new perspective on school reform and is essential reading for all those involved in education and childhood studies, including teachers, advisors, policy-makers, academics, and anyone who believes that children's voices should not be ignored.