Teachers, philosophers, historians and chief executives put the state of contemporary secondary education under the spotlight. Their essays make the case that secondary education has been impoverished by a narrow curriculum and rigid bureaucratic assessment system, and that despite government attempts to widen participation, the social gap in education remains wide. Inspired by the liberal tradition, the authors call for a more generous approach that will kindle the interests of young people and give teachers more freedom. They examine the initiatives that are successfully raising aspirations and participation, and argue that the best way to get more people from diverse backgrounds into university is to liberate learning. The contributors are Simon Blackburn, Nigel Bowles, Patrick Derham, Rachel Carr, Hugh Rayment-Pickard, Niall Ferguson, Sarah Fletcher, AC Grayling, Simon Lebus, Ray Lewis, Sir Stuart Rose, John May, Michael Reiss, Elizabeth Swinbank, John Taylor and Michael Worton.

Given the scale and density of socially-concentrated educational failure in the UK, the weakness of educational culture in many demographic groups, and the pervasiveness of low expectations the need for action on grounds both of moral urgency and economic utility is overwhelming.
In this compact collection of 13 short essays, UK academics, teachers, and administrators plumb the reasons behind the achievement gap in education, which is blamed on standardized testing and teaching to the test at the expense of student interest. Drawing on background in philosophy and history as well as real-life experiences in innovative programs, secondary schools, and post-secondary institutions, the contributors recommend giving teachers more freedom to create their own curricula to engage students. Some specific areas addressed include science education, curriculum development, mentoring, and the relationship between social exclusion and underachievement.