To meet a country's needs for human resources, educational planners must give definite answers to the following questions: (1) What educational level will be emphasized, primary, secondary, or higher education? (2) Should numbers or educational quality determine the educational system's orientation? (3) What subject areas--science and technology or liberal arts--should receive greatest attention? (4) Should formal education take precedence over nonformal training? and (5) How are human resources moved in the intended direction. A systems approach relates manpower and educational planning to national development, which encompasses economic, cultural, social and political development in the building of national identity and integrity. It focuses on a broad range of factors involved in human resource development rather than on simple head counts in skill and professional work categories. In this way distortions can be kept to a minimum in quest of the goal of balanced growth. (LN)