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Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice

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Part of the book series: Education, Economy and Society ((EDECSO))

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Abstract

The concluding chapter states the key argument of the book, the main findings and the implications for policy and practice. The key argument is that growing social disparities in political engagement are primarily the result of unequal access to learning opportunities. Two of the most important learning opportunities are participation in school activities and an open climate of classroom discussion, and children of disadvantaged backgrounds report significantly lower levels of participation in these forms of learning, particularly in England. The chapter calls on policy makers to make these learning opportunities compulsory and recommends schools with a high concentration of low socioeconomic status (SES) children to provide more of them in order to minimise social disparities in access. It further calls on teacher education to include curriculum content on social class.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ethnicity, sexuality, gender and disabilities and intersectionality between these groups are equally necessary to take into account.

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Correspondence to Bryony Hoskins .

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Hoskins, B., Janmaat, J.G. (2019). Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice. In: Education, Democracy and Inequality. Education, Economy and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48976-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48976-0_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-48975-3

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