Addressing the debate on school choice and vouchers, this collection of essays is divided into three sections: the theory and practice of choice in education; the question of whether private schools are superior to state schools; and empirical studies of school choice and vouchers. The first part discusses the economic rationale for government interference in schooling, and the opposing views on private school choice and vouchers; the second part contains several studies comparing achievement in state and private schools; while the third part presents empirical research from the US, Europe and Japan concerning the success and failure of school choice programmes.