Failure at school: an old problem in a new context? In most OECD countries, there is some reluctance to acknowledge the problem of failure at school. And when the problem is acknowledged, it is not always easy to find effective means for combating it or, even, to agree on indicators of failure that would demonstrate its scale. What are the different manifestations of educational failure today? And what are the policies needed to address them?

This book aims to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of failure at school in OECD countries. It restates the problem as it confronts policy-makers today and presents new findings. It proposes a set of national and international indicators of failure and compares various forms of intervention aimed at improving student achievement in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom.