「優質教育」是現代教育界的熱門話題，其實它與歷史悠久的教育界老話題「通識教育」有名異實同的意義。二者皆根據了「教育」的本質。本文是就「教育」之「應然」意，來解析「優質教育」所涵蓋的內容與範圍，並以「知識教育」─潛能的激發，及「品德教育」─人性的光輝，兩大項作為基幹，加上教育的「實然面」予以檢討批判，尤其以台灣的教育經驗為具體實例，指出過去台灣的學校教育，就教材、教育政策、宗旨及教育實際等實施中，拂逆「優質教育」之處，也違反「道德教育」的所在，最後並以「通識教育」的核心要義作總結。

Recently, good education is a very popular topic in educational field. It is actually equivalent to a traditional issue in educational area, that is, liberal or general education. This theme deals with two aspects as its main content：intellectual and moral education. In terms of intellectual education, potentials development to the utmost maximum is the essential goal of education. In terms of moral education, glorification of human sacred nature is also the most pursuit of human endeavours. These two dimensions are good quality education as well as liberal or general education. Unfortunately, education in Taiwan, in the past or even right now, for example, not only ignored but violated the principles of liberal or general education. As a result, bad quality education replaced good quality education. The failures of school teaching, subject matter selections, instruction attitudes and methods, and educational policies in Taiwan are the inevitable corollaries.