Abstract:
Achieving quality in education has increasingly become crucial in strategic improvement plans of
developing countries. While the concept of quality and its priority indicators may differ from
country to country, it is commonly considered as a determining factor in facilitating the
implementation of education for all initiatives (Boissiere, 2004; World Bank Independent
Evaluation Group, 2006). Quality in education is also viewed as an influential factor in
implementing plans for bridging the poverty gaps between the developing and the developed
worlds. At the centre of strategies for accelerating the achievement of quality education is
effective leadership at all levels of the school system. This paper seeks to examine country
context perspectives of quality education and leadership challenges associated with their implementation. It will compare existing basic education quality improvement policy initiatives
within Ghana and Tanzania. Of particular interest will be the identification of some major
similarities and differences in the way Ghanaians and Tanzanians educators perceive and
conceptualize their school leadership roles in the context of quality education
