ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of specifying the underlying philosophy starting to plan a distance education system, as well as die need to make explicit the mission, goals and objectives of the institution or system. The existence of educational needs that can be satisfied by distance methods does not automatically mean that distance education is the best way of satisfying them. The political decision to establish a distance education system will usually be justified in terms of a broad statement of the fundamental role or 'mission' which the proposed institution will have. Recognising the opposition to the proposal to establish a distance education system, politicians have in a number of cases isolated those charged with planning the system from the normal and potentially hostile bureaucracy of government. In Costa Rica the idea for a distance teaching university had originally been proposed by the Office of Higher Education Planning within the National Council of Rectors.
