From Development Education to Global Learning: Changing Agendas and Priorities

Abstract

This self-reflective article addresses my own involvement in development education (DE), first as Director of the Development Education Association (DEA) and, since 2006, as Director of the Development Education Research Centre (DERC) at the Institute of Education in London. It reviews the changing nature of political support for development education, the influence of UK government policies and recognises that 2005 could be perceived as a high point for funding and societal engagement in support for development. The article reflects that a major challenge for development education has been evaluation and impact. It concludes by reflecting that despite declining funding in the UK, development education continues to have an impact within education and that a feature of recent changes has been the increasingly central role educational practitioners are having.

Keywords

• Development Education
• Global Education
• Political Lobbying
• Evaluation