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The end of the Cold War ushered in a paradigmatic shift in international development discourse whereby a human rights-based approach to development was generated. This shift has stimulated the pegging of international development policy to the objectives of the human rights regime. However, in attempting to unify development and human rights perspectives, policy-makers have overlooked an imperative component of these realities, namely that proponents of the human rights agenda and social developmentalists differ in their conceptions of 'education'. Thus, while both perspectives seek universal primary education (UPE), their ideas about what that education should consist of vary. This paper does not argue for the use of one definition, nor does it conclude that the two are incompatible. Rather, the author contends that it is paramount that these two definitions are recognised for their unique approaches to education, in order for policies to be most effective. The value in the human rights-based approach to development is its ability to utilise both human rights and development perspectives to create a more comprehensive approach to poverty reduction and economic growth. By incorporating both definitions of 'education' into policy agendas, both the process and product of education will be emphasised, in turn improving the effectiveness and outcome of all efforts to achieve UPE.

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