Some figures speak for themselves. Like the 1.2 billion poor people in the world. More than two-thirds of them live in rural areas, often with little access to basic services such as education, healthcare and communications because they are isolated. 'Education for Rural Development: Towards New Policy Responses', from UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, reviews the status of rural education from the standpoint of public policies and sheds light on "good practice".