Realities Of Teaching Cartography In The Developing World

Abstract

Two general aspects of education in developing countries are attitudinal problems and the lack of quality standards. In the case of cartographic education, their effect is sharpened by the restricted numbers of students requiring education and training. This in turn causes isolation of training centres and a lack of suitable training material. Current options to redress these problems include sending in lecturers or visiting committees, organizing seminars, and establishing regional cartographic training centres — but even if their contribution may be important, the effects of these options are expected to be short-term only. More permanent help is expected from Personal Computers and the Internet, which will help in the innovation of the cartographic curriculum and its integration into a geomatics course structure. The role of international and national professional societies in supervising and monitoring the innovation process is emphasized.