Issues related to the use of distance education are discussed in this bulletin, which also summarizes the status of distance education in 26 countries of Asia and the Pacific. Section 1 contains a rationale for distance education and points out possibilities offered by advances in communication technologies. Section 2 gives country-by-country reports of distance education services available in the region. Primary and secondary, postsecondary, and teacher education are covered. Topics include learning materials, modes of instruction, and special needs linked with population and geography. Specific information is outlined for Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Section 3 contains papers discussion China's use of distance education for higher education programs and the University of the South Pacific's experience with a satellite in distance education. A third paper presents guidelines for planning, operating, and evaluating a distance education system and offers specific questions and considerations for those responsible for planning new systems. Section 4 is a bibliographical supplement organized by country and listing over 100 annotated entries. (JHZ)