Educating tomorrow: Learning for the post‐pandemic world By ChrisBrownRuthLuzmoreBingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Ltd, 2021. ISBN 978‐1‐80043‐663‐3; 200 pages; £16.99 (pb)

‘What would you do with a blank slate?’ So begins Brown and Luzmore’s exploration of education in a post-pandemic world. The question, which has been recurring in educational circles since the first lockdown began, is a provocative and enticing call to re-imagine England’s education system, prompted by global environmental, public health and democratic crises. The authors address it by firstly examining a potential future radically impacted by the technological advances of artificial intelligence, transhumanism, hyperreality and the exchange of digital assets. They then go on to set the context by exploring England’s complex educational past and its various influences, exposing the roots of meritocracy, marketisation, accountability and economism, which have become further entrenched in recent years. The lack of a consistent narrative about the purpose of education in England is highlighted as a key issue, and this realisation prepares the ground for a subsequent iteration of educational goals for the 21st century and beyond. In the midst of so much complexity and dire necessity for change, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The authors helpfully employ the concept of ‘utopia’ and its various manifestations as a starting point and identify common themes of creativity, truth and knowledge, which set the frame for a range of proposed educational strategies. These strategies centre around skills such as decision-making; environmental care; re-establishing trust in facts and science; personal well-being, and collaboration. Of all of these, it is perhaps the focus on truth that feels most pertinent. In a world rife with conspiracy theories, media hyperbole and politician ‘post-truth’ discourse, the development of critical thinking, social capital and renewed trust feels both urgent and necessary. The authors draw on practices such as Newton and Newton’s (2018) ‘productive thought’ framework to suggest practical ways in which these skills can be developed. Further explorations of emotional, creative and collaborative practices work towards a rounded notion of curriculum which appropriately focusses on the production of new knowledge rather than the regurgitation of information which is already readily accessible. The ideas presented in this book provoke much food for thought and will work well as provocations for educationalists of all sectors. There are some unexplored issues, however, that bear further consideration. Firstly, despite the desire to re-imagine education, the book continues to root itself in humanistic ideals that promote Western epistemologies and philosophies. For example, in discussing concepts such as reciprocity, ecological relations and community, an exploration of Indigenous epistemologies would offer an important and compelling counter-narrative. Similarly, grassroots educational practice (as seen in Black Supplementary Schooling) already offers alternative and radical educational approaches but is not acknowledged here. The question: whose ideas, whose knowledges, and whose voices are missing from this analysis? is therefore an important one to address; as while we are undoubtedly living through contemporary crises together, there is a need to define who this ‘we’ actually is, and explore what we can learn from individuals and groups who are already working in counter-hegemonic ways. While the book thus provides a useful starting point for educational provocation, it does therefore beg the question; how blank is the slate? And how radical might we really need to be to create a revolutionary educational environment for a world to come? Despite this critique, however, it does provide a useful counterbalance to the more instrumental and instructional focus on pedagogical techniques often seen in popular education literature. It invites us to think differently and explore the what if? questions of education; much needed provocations in these complex and rapidly changing times.