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 on international experience to see how new and old technologies can be used to widen access to education and raise the quality of what is happening inside schools.