Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people. Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform , however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems have been improved and economies  have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of compulsory  education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now. However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year. Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language for business across the area. The percentage  is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries have made English part of the primary and secondary education program. In some countries, children begin to study English even at the age of 4 or 5. In the past,   _   was not allowed in many Asian countries.
speaking English moving to other countries building private universities building middle schools