The Making of a Left-Behind Class - Educational Stratification, Meritocracy and Widening Participation

Despite the high aspirations of young people from disadvantaged communities, they face barriers that are frustrating the realisation of their educational ambitions. Combining analysis of educational disadvantage at an international level and empirical data derived from fieldwork in Ireland, this book analyses the ‘left-behind’ phenomenon. It explains how denied educational equality and frustrated opportunity are undermining social cohesion and what we can do about it.