This report is one of a series intended primarily for those engaged in or preparing for educational planning and administration (especially in developing countries) and for those government officials and civic leaders seeking a more general understanding of educational planning and its role in overall national development. In this booklet, the author examines the effects of development politics on the processes and responsibilities of educational planning. He argues that the political nature of education plans in developing nations places the planner in a dilemma. According to the author, if a planner adheres strictly to the ideals of education as a means for developing social equality and human potential, he becomes politically ineffective. On the other hand, the author contends, the planner without ideals can find himself used mainly as a propagandist and a technician by the government of the day. The author feels that the task facing planners is that of balancing what is best with educational standards that are suited to the social and economic needs of the country in keeping with what is possible at the time and with the resources available. (Author/JH)