ABSTRACT
The success of a nation depends on the quality of its educational system. Schools develop intellectual capacities, foster socially desirable values and lay the foundation for productive work and active citizenship. Moreover the quality of a nation's schools is directly linked to the quality of its teachers. What teachers know and can do is the single most important factor in determining what students will have an opportunity to learn. It follows that teacher education, the enterprise responsible for preparing well-qualified teachers and providing for their ongoing professional development, should be a highly respected, well-financed undertaking.
