In the Caribbean, as distinct from many other developing regions of the Iworld, the reform ferment of the 1990s in education has been characterized, first, by the focus on enhancing quality and equity rather than on access per se, and second, by the markedly more participatory nature of the reform initiative. This issue of Caribbean Journal of Education examines these important attributes, focusing on the conceptual issues in the democratization of education in the region. The papers were selected from among those presented at the Faculty (now School) of Education's third biennial conference, which examined some of the key issues and proposed strategies for democratizing education in the Caribbean. The papers have been revised and reviewed for publication in the journal. The second issue of this volume (Vol. 18, No.2), will continue this examination of equity and democracy, focusing on issues of practice.