Sir, - It is with amazement and horror that I have heard from my geography colleagues in Ireland of the omission of geography from the White Paper on Education, Charting our Educational Future. I have experience of the second and third level education systems in all parts of these islands. For the last 20 years I have been closely involved with the work of the British Geographical Association, the professional society for geography teachers, and during 1987-93 I was Professor of Geography at Trinity College Dublin, during which time I also chaired the National Commission for the Teaching of Geography. This experience, plus my knowledge of geography in other educational systems around the world, prompts me to make one simple, clear pronouncement: society ignores geography at its peril.
Geography promotes "a keen awareness of national and European heritage and identity global awareness and a respect and care for the environment". The words in quotation marks are not mine but the very words of the White Paper, which omits any. mention of geography. For me the Irish case also provokes a sense off deja vu. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland there was a proposal to drop geography from the secondary core curriculum. The error of this strategy was soon realised and geography was reinstated as a core subject for 11-14 year olds. Few would argue that knowledge of other countries and of the environment are key educational preconditions for a peaceful, and healthy future as citizens of Europe and the world. Give geography the status it deserves!
Yours, etc.,
Professor of Geography,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton.