All Must Have Prizes [Paperback]

'Prophetic and provocative, this is likely to become the most discussed work of social criticism since Allan Bloom's THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND.' Jonathan Sacks '... [a] seminal book... the issues Phillips discusses are what really matter... it is deeply disturbing that so many educationalists appear unable to accept any evidence which challenges their own complacency and prejudice.' Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, SUNDAY TIMES 'An awesome polemic... If we fudge her questions, we will be courting disaster... The reader is swept along by this passion which is linked to superb writing and a fiercely independent mind.' GUARDIAN 'Essential reading' SPECTATOR '...a book which raises many uncomfortable questions for those of us who care about what is happening in our society.' Ian Wilson, Head Teacher, FABIAN REVIEW 'A brave book... Like the good journalist she is, she uses personal interviews to great effect, but she has also done her homework... as she is right on all the important issues, she is also right to protest as energetically as she does.' Dr Eric Anderson, TLS 'I have finally got round to reading the most terrifying book of the decade and recommend it to every parent, grandparent and teacher who cares about the education of the next generation.' EXPRESS

"seminal"

"an awesome polemic"

"Essential reading"

British Education is in a state of meltdown. Throughout the system, from nursery classes to degree courses, the relationship between teacher and pupil has been undermined, and the idea that children should be taught a body of rules at all, whether in maths or grammar, is now taboo in many schools. Systematic instruction has given way to approximations and guesswork. The result is a rising tide of illiteracy. Melanie Phillips' devastating book is the inside story of a social debacle. But the collapse of education is not viewed in isolation. At the heart of the problem lies cultural and moral relativism, the doctrine that no values can be judged to be any better or worse than any other. The primary effect, particularly in the last twenty years, is the collapse of the authority of the institutions. Melanie Phillips sounds a warning and offers a blueprint to restore authority and meaning to society.

Melanie Phillips has been a columnist for the Guardian and now the Observer and won the prestigious Orwell Prize in 1996 for her journalism. This is her first book.