This book contains the partial proceedings of a symposium dedicated to concern for basic education for the masses. The book includes a position paper that focuses on education in relation to its cultural setting, socio-economic context, and partnerships in research. The result of the meeting was the identification of research that seemed instrumental in addressing problematic issues in education in developing countries. The outcomes of the research were expected to contribute to an improvement of the accessibility, relevance, and effectiveness of education. The volume contains 28 articles written by participants in the symposium, beginning with a position paper that provides the theoretical framework. The articles are grouped into four sections. The first section (Education, Culture and Development) contains a review of the major problems that developing countries face in providing adequate and relevant education to nations, and three articles highlighting the relationships among education, culture, and development. Section 2, "Education and Culture," deals more specifically with the link between education and culture, indigenous knowledge and indigenous learning, popular culture, creating of a national identity, and the relevance of social research in intervention systems. The third section is "Education and Productive Life." Articles in this section discuss education for self employment at the primary school level, work experience programs in secondary schools, and technical and vocational training for girls. The final section discusses educational research and networking. (DK)