Open and distance learning has been used in many ways in the recent past to provide both primary education and adult education. The Commonwealth of Learning works with governments, schools and universities with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Commonwealth member countries in developing human resources required for their economic and social development. Many existing policy documents link distance education with new information and communication technologies, portraying them as a promising universal access and exponential growth of learning.
This book answers the key questions to...

Despite the dramatic expansion of education over the last 25 years, there are still one hundred million children out of school and a billion adults who had no chance of getting to school and cannot read or write. This means that about one fifth and one sixth of humanity are functionally illiterate. Those without basic education are frequently open to malpractice, exploitation or worse - and the majority live in the rural areas of the Developing World. The problem is clearly huge - and complex. This book explores the alternative routes to basic education for both children and adults. It draws...