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Mary Healy, Philosophy in Schools. By M. Hand and C. Winstanley, C. (eds), Journal of Philosophy of Education, Volume 45, Issue 1, February 2011, Pages 167–169, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9752.2011.00788.x
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London/New York, Continuum, 2008. Pp. 194.Pbk. £24.99.
This book seems to attract strong emotions. To elucidate further, a true story. When approached to write this review, the review copy was sent to the wrong address. I enquired of the neighbour as to whether he had mistakenly received a philosophy book a few weeks back, to which, after rummaging in his bins, he replied: ‘I don’t read books … so I burnt it on the barbeque’.
My opinion of this book, however, differs drastically from that of my neighbour. This is not a book for burning, not even for slightly toasting. It is a book that needs to be read, and then read again by all those with any interest or authority in matters of education or educational policy.
Although there has long been an interest in the value of philosophy in schools as part of a developing thinking-skills programme, there is an increasing interest amongst academics calling for philosophy to be taught as an academic subject. Whilst philosophy does form a part of the Baccalaureate programme and is available at ‘A’ level, the place of philosophy in the general curriculum has been the subject of much debate and controversy.
