The education system should be in the forefront of the battle to combat racial inequality. The contributors to this book, however, argue that, far from reducing racial inequality, the education system in the UK systematically generates, maintains and reproduces it. Through careful consideration of the complex and pervasive nature of racism (and the practices it gives rise to) the contributors draw attention to the failure of the contemporaneous multicultural education theories and policies. The contributors' concerns are with: the role of the state in sustaining and legitimating racial inequalities in education; black students' experiences of racism in schools and post-school training schemes; and proposals for the realization of genuine and effective antiracist education principles.


The Japanese education system is widely praised as a model to be emulated in western countries. In Japan, however, the system is widely criticized for its strict uniformity and for its supposed failure to train the creative minds needed for the next stage of economic advance. Twice since 1967 the Japanese government has embarked on, but then failed to see through, major reform initiatives. This book explains why the reform attempts have failed. The failure lies, the author shows, in the inability of bureaucrats, party leaders and politicians to agree. Moreover, the author goes on to argue, when these rifts develop the Japanese policy-making process becomes strangely paralyzed, with no way of breaking the impasse. This "immobilism", the author argues, is not confined to education reform, but afflicts all aspects of Japanese policy-making.