This book challenges the notion that Black boys are resistant to education and incapable of achieving academically. Charting the educational progress of Black boys after they leave secondary school for the further education sector reveals how they take control of their educational careers and do well in the different environment.

That so many Black boys start so well in primary school yet fail in secondary school is well documented. Making Education Work explores the educational trajectories of young Black men once they are in college and examines the institutional cultures of schools and colleges and the taught curricula of both sectors.

Using phenomenological inquiry and student narratives, the book examines the key issues that shape the education of Black men after 16. Part One provides a contextual overview of their academic and social positioning, comparing the different ways in which the secondary and FE sectors accommodate Black learners. Part Two considers how the colleges’ curriculum and cultural organization work to support their education. Part Three discusses how these students take control of their own educational destinies and describes the sophisticated network of personal and institutional support mechanisms which foster their education. The final section poses challenges to both sectors and suggests structural changes that will enhance the educational experience of Black boys and men.

The book is for all teachers, trainers and educators interested in making a difference to the academic success of Black men and boys in college.

Table of Contents:

Part One -- gives a contextual overview of academic and social positioning within secondary and further education and compares the ways each sector accommodates Black learners.

Part Two -- shows how the colleges’ curriculum and cultural organisation work to support their education.

Part Three -- shows how the students take control of their own educational destinies and describes the sophisticated network of personal and institutional support mechanisms which foster their education.

Part Four -- challenges both schools and colleges and suggests structural changes that will enhance the educational experience of Black boys and men.