Researchers from the UK have used earth observation data to estimate the quality of education in Nigeria. It is novel research altogether, one of its own kind.
How spatial information is linked to the quality of education?
Researchers have used the information on the adequacy of classroom space as an indicator of education quality. An overpopulated classroom is usually not suggested as it negatively impacts the performance of both students and teachers. To know the school classroom areas, satellite images were used.
How it was possible to derive school classroom areas from satellite images?
Nigeria has a defined pattern for building schools throughout the country. This proved beneficial for a straightforward interpretation of classrooms through satellite imagery. The following are the identifiers for a school classroom building:
- Schools are typically located alongside the road
- There is a playground in front of the classroom building
- The classroom building is generally parallel to the road
- Primary classroom buildings are usually single storey
The research cited below used the manual method of interpretation on Google Earth Pro. However, for a quick estimate, the study recommends that machine learning algorithms may be used to detect classrooms based on the criteria mentioned above.
Such information would help determine the classroom polygons throughout the country in a brief period, far less cost and with transparency in reporting.
This study proved that earth observation data can help achieve the socio-economic causes, which is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Reference:
