THE CONCEPT OF REGIONAL SCHOOL ATLASES FOR ETHIOPIAN SCHOOLS

T.E. Hankebo

Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, Moscow, Russia

tilerduno@yahoo.com

In the states of African continent educational cartography is in its initial stage of development, and Ethiopia in this respect is not an exception. Cartographic educations in schools are presented by using general maps of the world and its parts which satisfy neither quantitative, nor qualitative necessities of teaching geography. Other related subjects such as history, biology etc are deprived of the necessary maps at all.

In order to raise the level of teaching geography and other related subjects at schools, fundamental change of attitudes towards maps should be formed. So that, raising the knowledge of maps and the use of them should be the compulsory element of general education at all levels of schools. To attain this, it is necessary to produce cartographic teaching-learning materials, which will become the favorite hand book of school-children and contribute the development of their geographic literacy and upbringing of love to their specific region and country. This kind of product should be an atlas combining the necessary educational maps for schools with colorful pictures, photographs, explanatory texts and self checking questions. Regional school atlases correspond in larger degree to such type of atlases. They will not only fill definite gaps in ensuring educating geography and other related subjects at comprehensive schools, but they can be used as cartographic learning, teaching and training aids. Further more they will be used as reference materials about the region and serve as basic sources of information for tourists, travelers, fishers, hunters and other interested group of people at large.

In the article there are formulated the purposes and tasks of regional school atlases in accordance with their significance for education in Ethiopia and requirements to their contents and final composition. The general characteristics of regional school atlases are given, disclosed their structure and the contents of their chapters, determined mathematical bases (scales, projections) of main and additional maps composing the atlases. Great attention is paid to the elements of the composition external methods principles (size, binding, volume, cover and title sheet). Sample maps, explanatory texts to them, diagrams, illustrative materials, space photographs and practical advises and self checking questions for independent work will be included. The languages and the methods editions of the atlases will be specified.