Enabling Students’ Voices and Identities: Philosophical Inquiry in a Time of Discord, by Arie Kizel (2024), Lexington Books,  Lanham, MD

We live in a time of unprecedented socio-economic inequality, exacerbated by climate change, unequal access to rapidly evolving technologies, declining democracy, and the growing power of totalitarian societies. In such a world, marginalised groups are at risk of becoming even more marginalised, often lacking the cultural capital necessary for social mobility. Schools, as Ivan Illich pointed out, play an ambivalent role here. Although often seen as a ladder that helps the poor climb out of their misery, education can also reinforce cultural differences through a hidden curriculum that favours affluent students with stimulating learning environments at home. Therefore, the educational system, if it is to be true to its goal of ensuring social justice, must strive to make the voices of the marginalised heard. That is why Prof. Arie Kizel's book Enabling Students’ Voices and Identities deserves the full attention not only of teachers of philosophy and Philosophy for/with Children (hereafter P4wC), but also of all educators committed to the democratic and social function of education.