Intended to stimulate public discussion on the aims and policies of New Zealand education, this background paper has three major sections. The first section discusses the role of education in relation to equal opportunity, democracy, cultural difference, national development, and personal development. In part two, graphs, tables, and text give a summary view of enrollment trends, demand for teachers, academic attainment of students, and expenditures. The concluding section summarizes policy commitments and raises questions that bear on further developments within the system of public education. Photographs may reproduce poorly. (Author/DW)