On the use of GIS Technique to Analyze the Distribution of Primary Schools in Holy Karbala City

Abstract

This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of primary schools in Karbala city based on geographic information system (GIS). GIS has the ability to solve numerous geographic problems effectively and easily and to make spatial analysis in combination with database systems. In this paper, data of educational facilities and population are collected via comprehensive statistics in Karbala city. This data has been utilized to build a geo data base for study area after processing it. Statistical and spatial analyses were applied. The analysis tools in Arc GIS9.3 software include (standard distance, directional distribution, nearest neighbor, auto correlation and accessibility indicator). These tools were used for analyzing patterns of distribution. Statically analysis results showed that there is an argent need to 31 boys' primary schools and 30 girl's primary schools within study area while spatially analysis results showed that nearest neighbor value of 1.19 which is dispersed for boys' schools and 0.96 is random for girls' schools. The correlations indicated 0.19 which is random for boys and girls schools. The Calculate Accessibility Indicator's results showed there is a lack in achieving the Accessibility Indicator of most of the residential sectors. INTRODUCTION ducational sector is a critical issue for developing countries. Providing educational facilities by the government does not only mean developing schools, but also includes other services. These services involve developing a transportation network such as roads, adequate classrooms, sufficient number of teachers and good planning strategies [1]. The education sector in Iraq as in many other third world countries is faced with multi problems such as lack of human resource, infrastructure imbalance between demand and supply. GIS is useful in the analysis and evaluation of the performance of different services, and identify disadvantaged urban areas for the redistribution of services where it also serves as compared to what is already planned and what is the reality of a specific area for determining the properties and legal liabilities and participates for building mathematical models of the slums by recognizing where urban growth trends to limit the spread and the development of existing areas [2]. GIS can be considered as a powerful set of tools that collect, retrieve, and store data, as well as displaying and transforming spatial data from real world for a specific purposes [3], GIS can be used for many different purposes in public services, especially in educational planning and management [4,5]. GIS provides a good platform for deeper geographical analysis of educational accessibility and has a great advantage. GIS has been participated greatly with number of studies that are dealing with measures of spatial access of educational services and resources. In developing countries, GIS and school mapping (SM) technique are often used for creating the necessary conditions and increasing the access of primary and secondary education facilities [6].