‘Alternative Education’ concept is a contemporary one and is a continuation of non-formal education and its branches. The subject matter related to Alternative Education is scattered. This book attempts to consolidate the needed information and focuses on getting a comprehensive idea about Alternative Education, its concept, philosophy, agencies involved, curriculum, systems of education etc. Thus the book conceptualise all the factors involved in Alternative Education. This book is suitable for learning Alternative Education for scholars, teacher educators and students of Education. Contents 1. Alternative Education: Concept, Components and Approaches Concept; Common Features among Alternative Education World Over; Need; Scope; Aims and Objectives of Alternative Education; Components of Alternative Education; Factors Leading to Alternative Education; Specific Populations in Alternative Education; Philosophical Bases of Alternative Education; Various Forms of Alternative Education; Alternative Education School Models; Key Aspects of Alternative Schools; Global Networks of Alternative Schools; Approaches of Alternative Education Programmes; Typology of Alternative Education; Strengths and Challenges of Alternative Education; Characteristics of High-quality Alternative Education Programmes 2. Agencies of Alternative Education Governmental Agencies; Non-governmental Agencies; Individual and Corporate Agencies 3. Indian Educational Thinkers on Alternative Education Mahatma Gandhi; Rabindranath Tagore; Vivekananda; Aurobindo; Jiddu Krishnamurthy; Gijubhai Bhadeka 4. Western Educational Thinkers on Alternative Education Ivan D Illich; John Dewey; Bertrand Russell; Paulo Freiore; Pierre Bourdieu; N F S Grundtvig; Alexander Sutherland Neill; Everett Reimer; A N Whitehead 5. Curriculum in Alternative Education Contents of Alternative Education Curriculum; Strategies of Alternative Education; Trends in Alternative Education; Functional Literacy; School Environment in Alternative Education 6. Evaluation in Alternative Education Approaches of Evaluation; Perspectives of Evaluation; Components of Evaluation; Features of Effective Alternative Education Programme Evaluation; Evaluation Tools and Techniques in Alternative Education 7. Teachers of Alternative Education Teacher Qualifications; Problems Faced by the Teachers  8. Alternative Education at Different Levels Alternative Education for Out of School Children; Alternative Education at University Stage; Alternative Education for Adults; Alternative Education for Weaker Sections 9. Alternative Systems of Education Open University; Open Schooling; National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS); Modular Employable Skills (MES); Jan Shikshan Sansthans; Distance Education Council (DEC) 10. Non Formal Education and Recommendations of National Education Policies Recommendations of NEP 1986; Programme for Adult Education; Policy, Targets and Implications for Strategy; Pre-requisite for the Eradication of Illiteracy; Reorganisations of the Existing Programmes; Adult Education and Development Programmes; Mass Functional Literacy Programmes; Continuing Education; Technical Resource System; Technology Mission of Eradication of Illiteracy; Management of National Programme of Adult Education (NPAE); Recommendation of National Education Policy 2020 11. Role of Mass Media in Alternative Education Radio; Television; Print Media; Cinema; Folk Arts; Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 12. Select Alternative Schools: With Special Reference to Kerala Kanavu; Sarang; Gothrathalam; Bibliography About the Author: Dr. Bindhu C M is a Professor in the Department of Education, University of Calicut, Kerala; Dean, Faculty of Education, Kannur University, Kerala and Director, Department of Life Long Leaning and Extention, Calicut University. She is an enthusiastic teacher and researcher in Education, she has 27 years of teaching experience. She has developed sixty-eight psycho- educational research tools. Her sixty-two research papers have been published in national and international journals of repute. She is the recipient of Innovative Researcher Award instituted by the Council for Teacher Education Foundation during the year 2020. Prof. Bindhu’s other books are: Instructional Learning strategies and Cognitive Entry Behaviour — An Experimental Analysis; and Mathrubashabodhanam — Pravanathakalum Reethikalum.