ABSTRACT

The evolution of “quality” and the challenges facing basic education in Asia The importance of quality in education2 Only a few years ago, the list of challenges facing the world included the rather distant dangers of globalization and the somewhat more immediate threat of avian flu. Now the list, growing longer more quickly than expected, includes end-of-theworld-as-we-know-it scenarios of financial meltdown, climate change and global warming, terrorism, increasing gaps between the rich and the poor, and violent conflicts over dwindling resources such as water, food, and energy.