Plan UK and Development Education – the contribution of an international development organisation to learning and understanding about global and development issues

Plan International is a leading international development organisation that applies a rights based approach to achieving its mission of achieving lasting improvements in the quality of life of children in developing countries. In the summer of 2011, Plan in the UK made a decision to close down its development education programme, as part of a process of re-strategising to focus its organisational resources. Plan UK's development education programme illustrates many of the challenges that International Development Organisations (IDOs) face. Development education practice led by many IDOs tends to emphasise the relationship of education to social change and development goals. But if development education is perceived in terms of questioning and challenging dominant ideologies, and promoting differing voices and perspectives, then it can only be assessed in terms of its educational impact.