This book addresses the intricate dynamics of materiality in education governance, which has highlighted the prioritisation of human needs over ecological considerations. It examines how material conditions—encompassing economic production and the assemblage of human and nonhuman entities—shape educational practices and policies. This book delves into the rapid advancements in digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the datafication and platformization of education, revealing their implications for equitable access and resource distribution. Furthermore, it addresses the relationships between public and private sectors in providing essentials of education and the tensions between Global North, South and East, analysing the exportation and enactment of education models and digital solutions without critical problematisation. Ultimately, it calls for a nuanced understanding of these material tensions across local and global contexts. By employing a more-than-human approach to education governance, the authors aim to unravel the complexities of these relationships, offering insights into how they can either perpetuate inequalities or foster collaborative, flourishing educational environments. This book serves as a vital resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of education governance in a rapidly changing world.

Paolo Landri is the acting director of the Institute of Research on Innovation and Services for Development in Italy (CNR-IRISS). His research interests concern digital governance of education, education policies, school organisation and educational leadership by drawing on ANT and new materialisms. His work spans the fields of sociology of education, education studies, and education policy investigation. He is the co-founder of the Network 28 ‘Sociologies of Education’ of the European Educational Research Association and the co-organiser of the annual Summer School in European Education Studies (SUSEES). He was also Co-Editor-in-Chief of the European Educational Research Journal (EERJ).

Dr. Francesca Peruzzo is a research fellow in Educational Equity and Policy at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. Her research interests lie in the intersection between politics, policy, education governance and inclusion, using in particular post-structural and decolonial approaches. More specifically, her work focusses on the analysis of education policies and educational exclusions, exploring the role of the state, processes of privatisation and the effects that enactment of national policies and global dynamics have for both equity of opportunities and educational experiences of disadvantaged children at the intersection of different social markers. Expert in critical ethnographic methods and network governance, she has published widely on ableism and digital education governance, and in the fields of sociology of education, policy sociology and critical inclusion studies.