The Dakar Framework of Action, adopted at the end of the conference held here in the Senegalese capital April 26-28, offers a rough guide toward attaining the goals of the Education For All by the year 2015, emphasising ''the necessity of making sure that children, especially girls, have access to a quality free, compulsory education''. There is general consensus that Education For All programme, adopted at a world conference in Jomtien, Thailand a decade ago, has posted some positive results in improving access to education for both children and adults. While experts may be unanimous on the need to incorporate standards into the Education For All programme, what actually constitutes ''quality'' is different according to one's needs and goals. According to Mokrane, a person with a quality education should be able to interact with his social, economic, and political environment. He should also have acquired critical thinking skills, which are essential for the advancement of democracy and progress.
Some observers define quality in relation to the specific problems of local communities.
In Africa, for example, new challenges, such as ethnic conflict, the AIDS epidemic, and refugees, have all had an impact on the educational system. A definition of quality education will have to take these new developments into account. The content of such an education needs to respond to the problems specific communities face. The educational system should emphasise openness to human civilisation, religious values, peace education, human rights, and environmental conservation'', he summarised. Mokrane, like Abdulaziz, believes that the quality of education in Africa will depend on how well the diversity of each community is kept in mind.