ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 outlines the scope of the book and presents its bottom line: education matters, policy matters, evidence matters; but the relationship between them is rarely straightforward, especially when ideology overrules evidence or when ministers try to micromanage what is best left to teachers. And once the media join the fray the mixture becomes downright combustible. Chapter 1 also documents the book’s policy and research background and explains how it combines showing with telling. That is, it provides examples of policy events and developments from 2006–20 together with analysis of the policy process.
