After World War II, an optimistic, rationalist ideology infused with Jeffersonian values influenced worldwide educational growth. The idea of a universal, free, compulsory system replaced an older elitist ideology. The equality ideology held that (1) cultural integration was necessary for national unity and (2) a shortage of trained manpower was the major obstacle to growth and modernism. Faith in education's power to create the necessary human capital for growth encouraged developed countries to expand their secondary and tertiary systems and developing countries to create all three levels in one or two decades. By 1970, the narrow view of economic development as sufficent to alleviate poverty yielded to a broader expectation that educational expansion would produce more social equality, partly through increased job opportunities and income equalities. However, the linear growth in jobs and capital accumulation ceased by the early 1970s; these and other economic disasters of the 1980s reduced education budgets and retarded progress toward universal schooling. The 1980s ideology essentially abandoned the equality emphasis to concentrate on improving educational quality. Although influenced by economic thinking, the quality approach is a mirror opposite of the 1960s optimistic model, being heavy with doubt and founded in disappointment and uncertainty. Yet, the concept stresses the relationship between investment of educational resources and productivity. Except for four East Asian nations, the linkage between schooling and economic growth in developing countries is weakening. Despite growing expenses, qualitative reform is as important as increased educational access for developing countries. Included are 25 references. (MLH)