Increasing sophistication of chemistry and decreasing financial resources for education are both trends which tend to reduce the extent of practical work offered in formal education, especially in developing countries.
Most chemists agree that practical work is vital for motivation and interest.
Hence the declining capacity to offer practical experiences is probably a cause of low interest in chemistry and of the lack of chemically skilled people in these countries. The effects run deep because when teachers lack practical experience themselves, they are unlikely to be strong, effective advocates for the necessary funding. In the same way newly developing areas of chemistry often get no practical expression, because the teachers and lecturers lack the knowledge and skills to initiate anything. Practical experiences that are provided thus tend to become ossified. Creative groups in a number of countries have been tackling these problems.