1987: Progress on many fronts

1987 saw a period of plenty of activity, with the Case for Geography, ongoing discussions over a National Curriculum, the 5-16 document from DES and responses and other activity. The GA was now on a sound financial footing.

There was also reference to the Education Standing Committee (ESC), now known as Education Group, and the work of the other committees. Members of GA committees work away, often in the background, providing valuable support for this sort of work.

References

Humphrys, Graham, et al. “Annual Report of The Geographical Association 1987.” Geography, vol. 73, no. 2, 1988, pp. 162–178. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40571395. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

1986-8: Geography 5-16

The DES / HMI published a paper in 1986 exploring the shape of school geography.

The GA published a response to the paper.

This paper is an outcome of GA Task Force' discussion meetings held at Leicester (8th November 1986) and London (7th February 1987) and with HMI representatives at the DES in London (11th November 1986). All these Task Force meetings were under the chairmanship of Patrick Bailey. Other Task Force members - David Boardman, Simon Catling, Graham Corney, Peter Fox, Paul Gwilliam, Paul Machon, Derek Mottershead and Tony Pearce - also contributed to the discussion on which this paper is based. 

References

Rawling, Eleanor, et al. “Comments from the Geographical Association on the HMI Discussion Paper Geography from 5 to 16.” Geography, vol. 73, no. 1, 1988, pp. 41–46. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40571340. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

The GA's responses to curriculum debates in the 1970s and early 80's - 2 of 2

This is the second part of an article written for me by Richard Daugherty, GA President in 1989. See Part 1 yesterday for the context: a move towards a National Curriculum framework.

During that time, the GA was also one of the leading members of the Council of Subject Teaching Associations (COSTA). When the House of Commons Select Committee invited a COSTA delegation to submit evidence to it about the school curriculum in April 1981, the GA sent me, as Honorary Secretary (Education) as its representative.

An extract (page 174) from the Hansard minute of that meeting offers some insights into two of the main issues that were raised by Select Committee members.

Hansard - GA Response to Framework Curriculum Proposals (1) by Alan Parkinson on Scribd

A Conservative MP, Patrick Cormack, clearly believed that knowledge of place names was being undervalued in the GA's leaflet (see previous post). Referring to the capitals of European countries, he says "I went to one school recently and none of them (the pupils) knew any of them."

Which hindsight,  could acknowledgement that place knowledge had a role, if not a major role in the teaching of geography have helped the GA be better prepared for the National Curriculum arguments later in the 1980s? 

On the same page of the Hansard report (above) is my attempt to respond to a question from the Committee Chair: Christopher Price by welcoming on behalf of the GA, a potential "common system of examination" for 16 year olds. 

This would within a short period become the GCSE that was introduced in 1986.

Thanks again to Richard Daugherty for both of these posts.