ABSTRACT
The themes of quality and equality in education, whether in the Third World or any other “world,” need to be related to more fundamental structures of society as a whole if they are to be of any help in overcoming the problems of the 1990s and the twenty-first century. In the face of a breakdown of the “world order” we have known since World War II, with yet new wars, mass unemployment, and greater consciousness of the frailty of the physical and biological environment on which human society depends, our approach to education has more than academic significance. China, as a mirror into which we can look in order to see our own problems more clearly, is of particular value because of its revolutionary history, an ancient culture which continues to influence people far beyond its own borders, and its history of relations (including a long history of comparative educational relations)1 with other countries. An evaluation of what constitutes, and should constitute, quality is important if statements about education are to be other than purely descriptive and backward looking. What is needed is understanding which will suggest ways of harnessing education (learning) to achieve socially desirable goals. What qualities this would involve and what meaning needs to be given to “equality” is the underlying theme of this chapter. But, to begin, the term “education” itself needs to be examined.
