THE candid views of pupils on life in school have been compiled for a book due out later this month.

"The Best Years of Their Lives?" has been written by bestselling author Professor Cedric Cullingford and is based on interviews with youngsters about their views of the purpose of school, their future employment, quality of the curriculum, and how school influences their views of the outside world.

Prof Cullingford, who is Professor of Education at the University of Huddersfield, reveals that the world of school as experienced by pupils is different from the assumptions made by politicians and those operating the system.

The book is published by Kogan Page and is due out on Thursday, January 23.