ABSTRACT
Achieving sustainable improvements in education systems, particularly amongst learners from disadvantaged communities, is a major challenge faced by most countries. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes and analyses work carried out by researchers at the University of Glasgow’s Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change over recent years in addressing this challenge within the Scottish education system. It is also important to note that only half of the world’s children receive pre-primary education, a failure that limits children’s futures and deepens inequities in later learning. Significantly, the disadvantaged are least served by quality early childhood care and education, although they benefit most from such interventions. Despite the efforts made in response to such global thinking, there remains a gap between the achievements of students from rich and poor families in most parts of the world.
