This text gives students a depth of understanding about how education influences and shapes society and conversely how society shapes education policy.It has never been more important for students of education to be able to understand the connections between the local and the global in explaining contemporary educational change. This text explains the connection between how the Australian education system has been shaped over time, and how thishas influenced the current institutions and policies that comprise the state of education.This comprehensive and theoretical text on the sociology of education helps students engage with the theory of educational sociology and learn how to critically reflect on it.