A Review of the Potential of GIS and Spatial Modelling for Planning in the New Education Market

Abstract

The authors aim to provide a review of the potential for the application of GIS and spatial-modelling techniques in the context of educational planning. It is their contention that such techniques can be particularly effective given the recent changes in the education-policy framework; namely the development of a market system to replace the previous, producer-led, planning environment. The authors argue that GIS-based techniques can offer only a partial solution to the manifold problems facing educationalists, and that we must look to more advanced spatial-analysis tools such as spatial-interaction modelling. The authors conclude that a combination of these techniques offers a powerful tool for planners who are increasingly concerned with questions of the equity of provision.