Study Of Universal Education In Developing Countries In Asia Courses

This thesis, entitled as the Study of the Curriculum Reorienta-tion for Universalizing Basic Education in Asian Developing Countries, is designed to examine the lessons that these nations experienced since 1950s and to propose general principles and strategies for reassuring curriculum relevance, thus to enhance the successful fulfillment of Education for ALL (EFA) goals, both quantitatively and qualitatively.For such a purpose, the researcher concentrates his enquiry focus on the contempary history of the universalization of primary education in Asia, the current people - centered sustainable development trend in 1990s, as well as the probable future directions of education development in the 21st century. To supplement with these perspectives, the researcher tries to make full use of techniques as literature review, case study and comparative analyses so as to acquire a valid data basis for a synthetical understanding of the proposed relevance - based curriculum reorientation.The major conclusions of the study include the following. First, the Asian half - century strife for universal education aspiration represents in essence an uneasy process for acquiring quality assurance along with the quantitative expansion of schooling programs. It is revealed that the provision of educational opportunities should be timely supplemented with learning achievement which critically depends on the curriculum relevance. The message lies in the fact that the effective universal education is decided in final analysis by the potentiality of the curriculum development to satisfy the basic development needs of the individuals and the community.Secondly, the implications of "the expanded vision of basic education", proposed by the World Conference on Education for ALL, on curriculum development are discussed in depth with close reference to the new sustainable development philosophy. Consequently the curriculum development for meeting the basic learning needs is considered necessary to enlist such factors as the national expectation for productive citizenship, ever - enriching educational philosophy and practices, the development status quo and aspiration of the learners as well as the actual education infrastructure. It is assumed that curriculum relevance is the joint output of the appropriate integration of these factors.Thirdly, the curriculum innovations, both in formal and non -formal sectors prove that the basic learning needs of a particular target group provide the basis for curriculum development, with a view to achieving universal education and sustainable development goals. In this aspect the cases could serve as demonstrative models for the actual practice.Fourthly, based on such deliberations the concept of curriculum relevance is defined in relation to society /community contexts, the learner, educational process and curriculum itself. The curriculum development is thus described as following such principles as being basic, functional, responsive, community-based, adaptive and development - oriented. In addition, six major strategies are recommended for enhancing curriculum relevance, namely to up-date curriculum beliefs, to decentralize curriculum management, to upgrade teachers' competencies, to strengthen guidance on learning capability building, to vitalize curriculum research interventions, and to reinforce the support system of effective curriculum reorientation.