Originally published in 1974, Selection and Control: Teachers' Ratings of Children in the Infant School consists of an analysis of teachers' ratings of children in a middle-class and in a working-class area at the end of their first year and the end of second year of life in the infant school. Presented in two parts, Part One is highly technical as it sets out in some detail the logic of the statistical description. Part Two gives one interpretation of the findings as these might throw light upon differences in the patterns of the teachers' judgments in the middle-class and working-class area. The results of the maternal interview given in the Appendix show very clearly major class differences in the reported preparation of the child for the current educational experience of the infant school. Today it can be read in its historical context.

Walter Brandis

Basil Bernstein (1924-2000), graduated with degree in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1951. He went on to train as a teacher, teaching a range of subjects before being appointed Research Assistant at University College London in 1960 and was awarded a PhD in 1963. He was appointed Professor in the Sociology of Education at the University of London Institute of Education (IoE) in 1967, followed by the Karl Mannheim Professor in the Sociology of Education in 1979. He was additionally appointed Senior Pro-Director and Pro-Director Research in 1984 and on retirement in 1991 became Emeritus Professor.

His published works, in particular the five volumes of the series on Class, Codes and Control, have become classics in the field.