This document provides an overview of different sociological perspectives on education including functionalism, Marxism, and the new right view. It also examines how factors like social class, ethnicity, and gender can influence educational achievement. Specific topics covered include the role of material and cultural deprivation in social class differences, the contribution of internal and external factors related to ethnicity and gender, and the impact of policies like marketization. The document is intended as a reference for sociological analyses of education.