Matchingthe needs for scientific and technological literacy with the developmental stages of Asian countries Genzo Nakayama Sound basic education is fundamental to the strengthening of higher levels of education and achieving scientific and technological literacy. The level of scientific and technological literacy of a country ref]ects, in one way or the other, the level of its basic education. Looking at the educational level of Asian countries, it could be said that they are at different

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... s of deve]opment. In the least developed countries, ]iteracy rate is below 5e percent and primary school enrolment rate js below 80 percent. For some developing countries, literacy rate is more than 80 percent and enrolment rate is more than 90, This difference seems to be closely correlated with socio-cultural and economic development in each country with regards to science and technology. For instance, the least developed countries of Seuth Asia are mostly agricultural and the technorogies are often importecl, while the developing countries of Southeast Asia, which are in the process of industrialization, are shifting to a socio-economic strategy in which the workforce can develop new technologies by themselves. JAPANCURRICULUMRESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 80 GenzoIVtzkayama Category B: Countries with literacy rate between 50 and 80 percent and primary school enrollment rate of more than 80 percent Category C: Countries with literacy rate below 50 percent and primary school eurolment rate below 80 percent