ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines how national standardised testing in Australia is implicated in the shift from equity to 'quality' and the use of measurement and comparison to drive educational policy. It discusses the necessity to move from notions of equality of opportunity – which have not reduced educational inequality – to notions of relational justice. The book discusses aspirations of school leavers and in particular the triggers and processes that 'turned around' students in their research who had previously indicated a desire to leave school early. It provides a draft 'manifesto' for researchers committed to resisting the ongoing (re)production of educational inequality that is now being further entrenched in Australia and the UK. In the field of education, a focus on schools and other educational sites serving vulnerable communities is urgent in the present moment.
