This book explores the experiences of young people as they move through the Irish secondary educational system. Drawing on a rich study which combines survey data with in-depth interviews with students, it addresses the key facets of schooling which influence young people's experiences. With chapters organised thematically, including ability grouping, school climate and the impact of high stakes examinations, the central dimensions of school structure and process is explored. Placing young people's voices centre stage, it explores how they respond to the school context and make decisions that will profoundly affect their future. This book contrasts different types of school settings and examines how gender and social class play out at the school level.

Religion and schooling has become a controversial issue across Europe. But we know little about how these tensions are experienced by children and their families. This groundbreaking book draws on an innovative, comparative study to examine how religious and/or secular beliefs are formed at school and in the family in five countries with very different educational systems (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and Scotland). New information on how schools and families influence the development of children's religious identities is presented by placing the experiences of primary school children at the centre of the research, yielding fresh insights into their perspectives on religion and schooling. The book adopts a multidisciplinary perspective, thus providing a more holistic perspective on the processes at play. Importantly, it offers insights into key policy issues concerning the place of religion in the school system, illuminating current debates around religion and multiculturalism across Europe.

This volume explores the role of structure and agency in shaping post-school pathways for migrant-origin young people, providing new insights from countries with different migration histories and transition systems. The book collates the work of leading international scholars to cover a number of jurisdictions across Europe, looking in depth at migrant transitions in different contexts. The chapters examine the influence of different education systems, migration status, race and ethnicity, social class, gender and resilience on the success of transitions to higher education and the labour market. The book highlights the need for host countries to put in place comprehensive policies to counter ethnic inequalities and discrimination in their education and labour market systems while facilitating and supporting immigrant youth in pursuing their post-school pathways. This timely book will be of great interest to scholars, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of migration studies, sociology of education and equity in education. Policy makers will find this book useful in informing policy development in education and the labour market.

Drawing on a major EU-funded research project, this book examines how religious/secular beliefs are formed at school and in the family across different European countries, offering insights into key policy issues concerning the place of religion in the school system and illuminating current debates around religion and multiculturalism.