Development Education (DE) is quality education which ensures a global perspective.
The knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which DE provides enhance the ultimate goal of
education as described by the Department of Education and Skills (DES). According to the
DES, the aim of education – as for instance detailed in the primary curriculum – is to:
• Enable the child to live a full life as a child and realise his or her
potential as a unique individual
• Enable the child to develop as a social being through living and
cooperating with others and so contribute to the good of society
• Prepare the child for further education and lifelong learning.
Similarly, at post primary level, the DES states that the aims are:
…to provide a comprehensive, high-quality learning environment which
enables all students to live full lives, appropriate to their stage of