Introduction

Having recently returned to England (where I am an Open University tutor) after having spent about 18 years teaching Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nigeria at Nsukka in the Eastern part of Nigeria, I find myself in an unusual position to understand the difficulties of teaching such a rapidly changing subject as astronomy in an isolated place like Nsukka. For example I have seen a great contrast between the OU Astronomy and Planetary Science course material and the few available text books at Nsukka. Although not very mathematical, the OU material includes a lot of the latest research results and theories, whereas at Nsukka the books have hardly changed in the past 20 years.

I am aware that the Astronomy group at Nsukka is not unique. There are other small isolated groups of astronomers (or in some cases only a single astronomer) around the world who are trying to interest their students in astronomy against great odds. These astronomers appreciate the importance of astronomy in awakening interest in science and thus strengthening the basic sciences and developing technological progress. However Governments and even some international agencies often take the view that astronomy is a luxury that is not needed by such developing countries and therefore give little or no support to these efforts.

Main Problems

Apart from the lack of teaching materials, extremely limited access to computers and generally poor infrastructure, the one major problem is the extremely poor communications. Often phone, fax and mail do not work reliably, and needless to say there is no e-mail or internet.