This book builds the case for systemic change in education through recognising that humans have two further innate drives beyond the drive for competence. Autonomy has been largely curbed in modern schooling and the drive towards meaning, although supported by school structures, is invisible to participants and the support provided is no longer adequate to current needs.

A systemic change in education means a change in the behaviours of educators to fully support all three innate drives. What these changes are is fully described and involve two distinct shifts in the educator-student relationship.