Topical Talk

International aid: what's the best way forward?

Examine the real-world effects of international aid

Collage of pages from the “International aid: what's the best way forward?” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 09 February 2026

About this lesson

In 2026, the UK government significantly reduced aid spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income. Spending on defence has gone up. In July 2025 USAID – the United States’ agency for distributing international aid – officially closed. Many poor countries that receive aid are having to make do with less.

Is international aid working as it should?

Use this lesson to help students:

  • Explore what aid is, why it is given and how it has been used
  • Examine how aid is distributed and its real-world effects
  • Evaluate different perspectives on the future of international aid

This resource was created for the Topical Talk Festival 2026.

Skills and knowledge

  • Problem solving

    Step 6: Analysing options
    I identify advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions
    Did you identify the advantages and disadvantages to each choice?

    Step 9: Exploring causation
    I analyse causes and effects
    Did you consider the different cause and effect for each choice
    and consequence?

    Step 12: Logical reasoning
    I use logical reasoning to structure problems
    Did you use logical reasoning when considering the different problems and making the choices for your country?

  • Knowledge

    I know that different factors can influence how people vote and I can explain what some of these may be.
    What are some of these factors?

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