Preface

This document provides useful background information on the rationale and ideas contained in the World Declaration on Education for All and the Framework for Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs, which were adopted by the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand, 5-9 March 1990). The text of the World Declaration is given in the Appendix; Chapter 5 is based on the Framework for Action. The reader will also find in this document numerous examples of actual experiences in meeting basic learning needs to illustrate how the Expanded vision of basic education can be applied.

The Executive Secretariat of the InterAgency Commission (established by UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF and the WORLD BANK to organize the World Conference) prepared this background document. In doing so, it drew on a large number of reports and studies, and on the suggestions generated by three technical workshops that brought together specialists from five continents, as well as on the comments received on earlier versions (Drafts A and B).

An earlier version (Draft B) was distributed to participants in the nine regional consultations and three international consultations convened by the Inter-Agency Commission between October 1989 and January 1990, as well as to participants in the World Conference. The present final version was revised after the Conference by the Executive Secretariat to conform to the final texts of the World Declaration and the Framework for Action as adopted at Jomtien, and to incorporate new material that came to light during the regional consultations and the World Conference. This document does NOT constitute a policy statement of the Inter-Agency Commission, nor of the sponsors, co-sponsors and associate sponsors of the World Conference.