History is history as far as many pupils in British education are concerned. A recent survey has shown an alarming reduction in pupils studying history at GCSE level. I really do think that this is serious as it means that in the future many British citizens will not have a historical perspective in which to judge current events.
But this is not a history blog. I am more directly concerned with geography. Surely geography might be benefiting from this phenomenon. Well, no actually. In fact the number of pupils studying geography is showing an event steeper decline and now represents only 3.7% of pupils.
All of this is because these are no longer compulsory subjects for the over 14s. The number of pupils studying subjects such as media studies have increased by 32%.
So in the future citizens might get more insight into watching Big Brother but will know nothing about the facts on climate change.
Isn't it about time those involved in geography took this issue seriously and did what they can to reverse this decline? The future of geography is at stake.
About Me
- Alan
- New Barnet, Herts, United Kingdom
- I am the Chief Operating Officer and also the Head of Finance at the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) in London. I know about Finance. I don't know so much about Geography - I came here from the world of the Arts. But I think it is important that the finance guy in any organisation knows a bit about what that organisation does, and why. I have had no formal education in the world of geography but am developing an interest in the issues facing geographers and the benefits which geography can bring in so many walks of life. I need to learn more about geography and the current issues in GI. This blog will follow my process of education and record my reactions to a wide range of events all relating to geography in its widest sense. I hope visitors will find the blog to be of interest. Be prepared to follow me through my learning curve. It may be a bumpy ride!