Is Geography teaching rubbish?

There has been a lot of stuff on the news this week about the low standards of Geography teaching in England and Wales. In a report by the BBC they claim that Geography must be made more relevant. I suppose I find it hard to believe that it isnt! Everything we teach is part of the world - part of the bigger picture - part of the macro ecosystem of the world that we live in. I cannot think of any more relevant subject - global warming, debt, poverty, migration, aids - these are the issues that make up the news and these are the things of geography. Maybe teachers need to refresh their case studies a bit and maybe we need to protect the specialism that is geography rather than let it be diluted into 'popular science'. Our job is to teach how the world works. Do we do it? The President of the RGS (Royal Geographical Society) - Dr Rita Gardner replied that
"Young people have a tremendous curiosity about the world, and there are few subjects more relevant than geography. Indeed, it remains one of the most popular subjects at GCSE. Through forthcoming curriculum changes and enhanced professional development opportunities and resources, I am convinced that geography will become sufficiently interesting and engaging for that curiosity to be stimulated for all our children.”

Feb 2008