A selection of papers on Asian population trends and educational development is presented in four parts. Part I defines the major components of Asian population growth as the rapid decline in mortality after 1945, relative increases in the population of less developed regions, accelerated fertility potential, and unequal distribution of wealth. Education is characterized by unequal opportunity and a high dropout rate in primary grades. Part II views rapid population growth as an obstacle to progress and discusses the shortage of capital, the employment dilemma, rising costs of services, social development, and the difficulties of setting educational priorities. Case studies are presented which focus on educational expansion and equality in Japan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, and Singapore. Part III focuses on rural-urban migration and highlights the problems of this migration with case studies of India, Japan, and Indonesia. Part IV discusses the need for educational innovation and suggests that planners redefine educational objectives more democratically. This section discusses international cooperation in education, radical policies for rural areas, local input into the educational system, and the importance of family planning. A selected bibliography is included. (Author/DB)