1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 Chapter 10 Mystification of production and feasibility of alternatives Social class inequality and education Alpesh Maisuria This chapter develops a critique of the neoliberal capitalist mode of produc- tion (outlined in Chapter 9, this volume) through discussing the role and function of fee-paying private schools in the first section, of which I explain that there are two sorts: one for the ruling class and the cheaper imitation for the working class. It is argued that through the existence of fee-paying private schools for working-class pupils (who often use credit to afford the costs), inequality and unfairness is hidden, and social mobility and meritocracy pro- moted. I use the case of Eton College to show that social mobility and mer- itocracy has limits, because the most prestigious schools are beyond the reach of most working-class pupils, so inferior fee-paying private schools for the working class 1 exist, and these are designed to appease the working class. I also extend this argument by examining the history and recent proposal for the reintroduction of grammar schools. I argue that these selective schools create the consciousness that individual endeavour will be merited, and social mobility becomes possible for everyone irrespective of class background. In these discussions, mystification emerges as a key concept, deployed to mean the veiling of capitalist neoliberalism, and its inherent and widening class- based inequality. In the second section of the chapter, I discuss resistance to neoliberalism. I elaborate on the necessity to understand and advance class struggle, and, in stable societies with a democracy, this struggle takes place in cultural forms. I end the chapter with a discussion drawing on the case of Russell Brand. Avoiding focusing on his ostentatious personality and the ad hominin common with reports of Brand, I provide a meta-analysis of his journey from Hollywood celebrity to somebody who has turned to political activism using his considerable reach as a public figure. I use Brand to argue more widely for the necessity of class consciousness, which provides the possibility of social change. On the theme of political transformation, I highlight the examples of Cuba and Venezuela. I argue that educators need to focus on developing crit- ical consciousness, and that there can be a feasible alternative to the status quo, this being a task both inside and outside of the classroom. 351_10_Education, Equality and Human.indd 301 31/7/17 11:45:20