An overview is presented in this paper of the problems involved in making education universal and available at all levels in different regions in the world. It is pointed out that a majority of the world's children have no schooling; preschool education, though widely favored, has still to become universal even in the industrialized countries. The problem of dropouts is universal in all school systems, and failures and grade repetitions plague both primary and secondary education. Teacher training is under reexamination in all countries. Various forms of inequality exist in every country. Third world nations are struggling to maintain and expand imported systems of education unrelated to their cultures and unresponsive to their needs. Examples are given of remedial measures being undertaken in the world's educational systems, with particular emphasis on actions being taken in Asia and Africa. (JD)