Living on the Edge: rethinking poverty, class and schooling, by J. Smyth and T. Wrigley

There is no doubt that Living on the Edge is an example of leading critical scholarship. The purpose of this work is to focus on poverty in affluent countries during a period of growing economic division, and in doing so, to enhance our understanding of why children growing up in poverty tend to underachieve at school. Through each chapter, the authors analyse a series of competing myths that they claim have worked to distract attention away from the centrality of economics in the social divisions in schooling. There is nothing that this reviewer can add to the high praise from the respected critical scholars that accompany the publication of this book. It is essential reading for those dedicated to social justice in schools.