Changing the earth science curriculum in the SADC countries: a necessity?

A large number of changes affect the professional environment of the earth scientist. These changes are quite rapid when seen within the human life span. They are brought about by improved communication networks, continuously developing instrumentation, the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the sciences and the changing demands of society. If taken seriously, then these changes must lead to a revision of the earth science curriculum, in which the fundamentals of the earth sciences should be studied in an integrated manner and in which skills, rather than just knowledge, are valued. Practical suggestions on how to revise the curriculum are made. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.