National Degree of Computerization: A Context for Evaluating Computer Education Policies in Developing Countries.

Developing countries should take immediate steps to avoid some of the serious problems that are now facing the United States in regard to the pool of trained computer professionals. Problem areas which should be reconciled involve a diverse range of topics from general national policy to salary structures and conversions efforts. By using the hypothesis that the relative magnitude of most computing problems facing a country is a function of the degree of computerization (as measured by the number of computers per billion dollars of gross national product) the various stages of computer development can be detected. The evolution of computerization problems, particularly as they pertain to personnel, in advanced countries can be analyzed and suggestions can be made on the policies that developing countries should attempt or avoid. For example, policies concentrating on developing narrowly oriented computer specialists are likely to satisfy near-term needs, but will tend to backfire later as computer applications become a more pervasive part of national society. (MC)