The theme of the 1990 meeting of the Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth of Nations was improving the quality of basic education. Basic education was defined as "the activities of primary and junior secondary schools, and of programmes of out-of-school education at an equivalent level, both for children and for adults." This preconference briefing presents two papers on curriculum reform. The first paper, "Improving the Quality of Basic Education through Curriculum Development and Reform," by Kazim Bacchus, highlights constraints on the improvement of educational quality, the contribution of curriculum, and strategies for introducing curriculum reform. It argues that any effort to improve quality must begin with a clear definition and prioritization of the goals of basic education. Increased involvement of local communities and teachers in the development of school-based curricula and the preparation of materials are recommended. The second paper, "Improving the Quality of Education: A Case Study of Curriculum Innovation in Malaysia," by A. A. Aziz and others, begins by describing features of Malaysia's new primary and junior secondary curriculum, focusing on implementation processes. Issues surrounding the teaching-learning process, development of materials, teacher preparation, and school management are examined. The article highlights the importance of teacher and community involvement in the change process and describes strategies used in Malaysia to ensure the implementation of a relevant curriculum. These strategies include decentralized management structures, localized production of curriculum materials, and the establishment of community-schools projects. (AC)