Introduction

This book questions the consensus that contemporary formal schooling is of clear cut and undoubted benefit to pupils. During lockdowns caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, governments and various other actors have been trying to get children and young people back into school as quickly as possible. While there are any numerous beneficial aspects of schooling, the book asks whether accepted models and practices of schools should change in a post-COVID world. By critically examining the everyday nature of “normal” schooling, the book demonstrates that many aspects of schooling are not necessarily beneficial to pupils, and can be directly harmful: in doing so, the author imagines a future of schooling that could better support and benefit its students.