NEXT STEP IN PREPARING FOR GEOINFORMATION SOCIETY. A TENTATIVE FOR STRATEGIC EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

The Knowledge Society with its many facets including Spatially Enabled Society and Government or Geoinformation Society is the new step in the evolution of Information Society associated with a new characteristic named creativity. In this society there is a continuous and intensive demand for competence in order to overcome the barriers in relation with resources, knowledge and skills, institutions, attitudes and beliefs, assessment, and an imperious need to create a new culture. In different studies have been highlighted the large range of obstacles hindering the distribution of geoinformation and GIS throughout different education systems in Europe. Though Geoinformation has been mentioned as a priority in the IST (Information Society Technology) research programme, in any documents of different policies or action plans there is no any mention of it as priority. More than, no mention concerning any ideas in connection with education in order to assure the appropriate amount of skills and to create the competencies. This indicates a major gap in policy making largely created by the subsidiary nature of education in the European activities with deference to national policies and programmes. Romania is not an exception. This paper examines the outcomes in terms of curriculum opportunities and realities for the use of geoinformation in schools and in teacher education and in research. The importance of professional development for teachers and the widespread use and implementation European standards is specifically highlighted. In additional will be presented the targets for next, short, medium and long term in order to create the premises of a new culture connected with geoinformation and their applications in the new step of society.