'Changing the subject'

This book by Eleanor Rawling was flagged up for me by David Lambert in a recent conversation where I talked about some of the curriculum changes I'd seen.

It describes the changes that took place in school geography between 1980 and 2000 - the era when I trained as a teacher and then started teaching.

I purchased a copy from Amazon second hand, which turned out to have been withdrawn from the Edward Boyle Library at the University of Leeds.

Eleanor, a former GA President of course, describes the various policy decisions at national level which influenced the shape of the National Curriculum in the mid 80s, with its many many attainment targets, which were turned into double page spreads by David Waugh and Tony Bushell in the ubiquitous 'Key Geography' series.

The book was published by the Geographical Association, and the acknowledgements section mentions a whole list of former GA Presidents who were also involved in its production, particularly Richard Daugherty and also in the contents as they were a big part of discussions around the time of the development of the National Curriculum.

More to come once I've had a chance to digest it further...

GA Publications in the Internet Archive: Geographical Work in Primary and Middle Schools (1981)

One of quite a few books that can be borrowed from the Internet Archive free of charge if you are interested in finding out more about the development of school geography (and the GA).

Published in 1981.

Edited by David Mills

The list of contributors below includes some former GA Presidents and others closely linked with the Association. 

https://archive.org/details/geographicalwork0000unse_v1z9

GA Publications in the Internet Archive: Geography in Secondary Education (1971)

 

One of quite a few books that can be borrowed from the Internet Archive free of charge if you are interested in finding out more about the development of school geography (and the GA).

Published in 1971.

Written by former GA President Norman Graves.

https://archive.org/details/geographyinsecon0000grav

An updated version was published in 1980 also from Norman Graves

https://archive.org/details/geographicaleduc0000grav

GA Publications in the Internet Archive: Geography in Primary Schools (1970)

One of quite a few books that can be borrowed from the Internet Archive free of charge if you are interested in finding out more about the development of school geography (and the GA).

From 1970

https://archive.org/details/geographyinprima0000geog

Produced by a sub-committee, under the Chair of E. C Marchant (a former GA President)

Some former GA HQ staff also get a mention here.

GA Presidency Month 1: September 2021

I've now completed the first month of my year as President of the GA, and it's been an interesting and very busy one, along with the return to school for another academic year with new groups and a new timetable to get used to along the way. I can see why it's been a while since we had a teacher as GA President, but that's not to say we shouldn't have another one asap, following on from the tenure of Alastair Owens for 2022-23. 

I plan to post an update here at the end of each of the 12 months so you can see what I get up to, and the range of activity that a President is involved in.

I received an article that I had written for Routes Journal back from the peer reviewers with some comments on changes to make ahead of publication in early 2022. This is one job I've been looking at. The article explores the research that I did for the GA Presidents blog over the last two and a half years.

Given my theme of everyday geographies there's certainly been something to do everyday: emails to answer, queries to answer and conversations with many of the GA's staff at Solly Street - the HQ in Sheffield. I've had messages and some lovely messages via Twitter DMs, email, Facebook, WhatsApp and various other means.

The first week involved a field trip with Year 4 students to the Norfolk coast - a great day and a reminder of the value of fieldwork. 2022 will see our planned National Fieldwork Week which I am involved in. Look out for more on this in the GA News for Autumn 2021.

There was also the hosting of a one hour session on COP26 with a range of guest speakers - see earlier on LivingGeography for all the links to the presentations. Thanks to all those who presented, including former GA colleague Paula Owens who closed the event.

The second week started with the release of the results of the moderation of applications for a number of funding opportunities that the GA offers. Some of these are for members of our volunteer groups, others are for everyone.

There have been discussions and emails and Zooms around a number of projects and areas:

- the GA's Governance Working Group and smaller groups

- the Geographers' Gaze project to open up the archives a little, with former President Peter Fox involved

- a publication I'm working on for release in 2022 which has been much changed from the original format and now requires a little reworking

- items for GA journals now and in future issues - my Webwatch column for January 2022 is already underway, for example along with a piece for Primary Geography 

- National Fieldwork Week planning and thinking

In the third week, focus moved to Conference Planning, and Conference 2022. This is a huge undertaking and there were lengthy meetings with the whole Planning Board to look at the sessions which had been submitted - well over 100 - along with those who I had personally invited. It was the first look at the overall possible format, and some planning ahead for the hybrid conference. Isabel and Becky are pulling things together for another chat in a week's time.

I'm really looking forward to letting people know some of the exciting people we have presenting at the event.

I also completed a presentation slide deck for an education conference in Turkey at which I am an invited speaker, so that it could be sent for translating ahead of the event - the theme is 'Everyday Geographies' and I'm also mentioning my book 'Why Study Geography?' which has been reviewed in RIGEO recently and also elsewhere. I also continued to work on my slide deck for the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers' Conference next month on the theme of 'rewilding'.

We traditionally exchange fraternal greetings at our respective conferences and I've been attending regularly since 2004. 

Alongside that I also planned a 3 days ERASMUS+ meeting to take place at my school and worked on some of the resources that are required for it. This will be a chance to welcome international colleagues for the first time in over two years. We had Zoom meetings for the 2 projects. Plenty about those on LivingGeography.

There was also a meeting of the GA's Education Group. This is the main group that supports the Governing Body and staff at HQ with key thinking. It is chaired by the President and this involved rather a lot of preparation and reading and knowledge of the ByLaws and other aspects of the GA's operation. I know almost every member having visited their groups or worked with them in some way.

The final week included further discussions over conference and funding, and follow ups from the EG meeting. There was also a chat with Olwen Lintern-Smyth: Chair of the GA's Trustees.

I ended today by submitting an exciting proposal form for an international conference in 2022, connected with an important GA initiative that is currently underway.

Preparations are also being made for our next meeting of the GA's Governing Body. This will occupy some time in tomorrow's meeting, which I shall tell you all about at the end of October when I share my month 2 update. The full list of the Governing Body is in GA Magazine. 

I'll also start the 2nd month by hosting and presenting at an eConference for Early Career Teachers all day on Saturday, and re-recording a bit of audio for my involvement in a well known Geography podcast to be released next month.

If you think that the Presidential for 2023-4 might be you, check out the opportunity here and in the latest GA News. Also feel free to get in touch - I've had a few conversations in that area too.

Publications

A couple of GA publications from around 20 years ago...

Paula Richardson

Paula Richardson has been involved with the GA for many decades and held may different posts, and served on committees for decades.

She has also written the 'Meanderings' section of GA Magazine for even longer than I've written the Webwatch column. This comes at the end of each issue and is a sort of miscellany of ideas and links of general interest to all key stages. It always has something of interest.

Paula and her husband Tony have also written or co-written a great many resources for the GA including the Superschemes series, and resources to accompany another Paula creation: Barnaby Bear (see his own separate post)

Paula says:

After a lifetime in education including the placement and supervision of trainee teachers both in the UK and overseas I now work more specifically with teachers working towards QTS status.
Educators Abroad offers a programme to experienced teachers to assist then in obtaining fully qualified teacher status if not already held. We work in schools around the world in particular International Schools where the curriculum is taught in English. More details can be found at
www.educatorsabroad.org
As a geographer I am also an adviser, author and teacher. 

At present I chair the Publications Board of the Geographical Association and am also a member of the Governing Body of the GA.

She was educated at Ripon College of Education, Yorkshire and the University of Surrey, and completed her EdD at the University of Sheffield.

Paula was awarded Honorary Membership at the 2021 GA Conference - the Association's highest honour. 

Here is the citation that I read out.

Honorary Membership

This is the highest award that the GA makes and recognises the enormous contribution that the
recipients have made to the GA and to geography in education. This year the award goes to Paula
Richardson.
Paula joined the GA forty-five years ago in 1975 and she has given outstanding service during this
time in a multitude of ways – through her work as consultant, her many publications – including
the invention of Barnaby Bear for the QCA Schemes of work – and extensive work as chair of
Publications Board; she is a highly-valued member of EYPPC and FOLSIG; she promotes the GA at
national and international level, supporting ITE with Educators Abroad; she is also a GA Governing
Body named trustee.

She is the GA’s representative on the Education Committee of the Royal Meteorological Society.
Paula has been a consultant to the GA since 2005 and a Primary Geography Quality Mark
moderator since its launch in 2006. She has made numerous school-based CPD and conference
contributions over many years, always promoting the aims and objectives of the GA.

Paula has had a varied career; in addition to teaching, she has worked as a local authority adviser,
in ITT and in many significant roles for the GA. Other activities include her volunteer work with St
Johns Ambulance, most recently training hundreds of Covid-19 vaccinators.

She is constant in her service to the Association: few volunteers can be more deserving of this
award. As one staff colleague commented: ‘It’s hard to think of anyone who’s done more for the GA’.

Image copyright: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association

Challenging Times - Charney Papers

In 1993, the Charney Manor Conference focussed on the National Curriculum. A book was published with a series of papers. It included pieces by many former GA Presidents, including Rex Walford, Eleanor Rawling, Chris Kington and Michael Morrish.

There was an analysis by David Lambert where he talked about Hirsch and his ideas - someone he would return to several times over the next 2 decades in his work. Rex contributed an excellent piece on games in Geography.

Rex Beddis

1988 saw the passing at an early age of Rex Beddis, who was the GA's Publications officer for some years, and also worked on books that will be familiar to many geography teachers. He was also a teacher himself, at the Elliott School.

He helped develop curriculum thinking, and his books were widely used in many schools, including my own.

One of his most popular book series was A Sense of Place. 

This involved 3 books and accompanying workbooks and teacher guide - a feature which became common with Key Geography, Geog Dot and other series, right up to the present day.

From the description:

* Presents a number of ideas through a range of data - text, photographs, drawings, diagrams, statistics and maps 

* Encourages students to form opinion through feelings and values as well as evidence 

* Develops a wide range of skills 

* Helps students to look at the future as well as understand the present

When I posted a picture of the first book, it prompted lots of memories from people who had the books, used the books, bought the books for their department, and many who still have their copies of the books, or inherited them when they moved to a new school. They include David Gardner, who has been associated with the GA for many years, and may get his own blog post in due course.

References

Storm, Michael. “The Geographical Association.” Geography, vol. 73, no. 3, 1988, pp. 268–271. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40571429. Accessed 15 Nov. 2020.

Any further memories of Rex Beddis welcome.

GA News - the first edition

The first edition of the 'proper' GA News with Mike Morrish as the editor. 

Thanks to Eleanor Rawling for passing this through. First of all, there's a mock up, which was put together to show how it might look.

And then an image of the actual document, complete with the relevant story at the time relating to government-related policy work and the debate over Keith Joseph's speech at the GA Conference which has been the subject of other posts.

Images: Eleanor Rawling

1990: Mr. Bryan E Coates

Last updated June 2021

Bryan Coates was a geographer at Sheffield University. 

He is another familiar name in Geographical Association history. He was connected with the GA for many decades, and this continued until fairly recently - here he is, pictured at a GA Conference in Derby by Bryan Ledgard.

Bryan held several important posts within the GA, and these included some particularly significant ones, which he held for many years, and which are particularly important for the ongoing work of the Association through the 1980s:

• Honorary Secretary
• Publications Editor
• Honorary Treasurer

These were the posts which were crucial to the continued effective running of the Association for many years, before it went onto a more professional footing.

Bryan worked in the Geography Department at Sheffield University.

He wrote about the Geography of Inequality and this was the theme of his Presidential Address in 1991, called 'Our Unequal World'.


Inequality has grown in importance as an area of geographical study over the last few years.

Nearly 30 years on from that time, we now have even greater inequalities, and plenty of geographers studying them, including some of the GA's own current trustees, and Danny Dorling, whose job title invokes an earlier GA President of course.

Bryan was associated with the Association from the 1960s, when he co-authored a piece on employment and affluence with E M Rawstron, who he was to write several pieces in association with.

He also created a Census Atlas of South Yorkshire, which can still be purchased.

He was fondly remembered by Sheila Jones, who also remembered him as "one of the great modernisers" who did a great deal to change the Association.

She sent me more details about his work around the Centenary in 1993.

Here's Bryan in 1993, with Pat Cleverley and a gentleman that we haven't been able to identify as yet at the Centenary event.

Here's Bryan doing a speech at another centenary event in 1993.

Former GA President Jeremy Krause also told me that Bryan:

"...was the ‘ah but man’ - challenging questions - "have you thought about doing this better or differently". Often right about good sense.
Lovely man! 

Great sense of fun!"

While researching Bryan and trying to track down some more information, I discovered from Richard Daugherty that Bryan had sadly died quite recently in December 2019.

From the Sheffield University website, a little more information where his death was announced:

Bryan was based in the Department of Geography from 1 October 1958 to 30 September 1989 and was a Senior Lecturer at the time of his retirement. He also served as the Dean of Social Sciences from 1 September 1988 to 30 September 1989.

Bryan sadly passed away on Wednesday 4 December 2019. 

His family was described in the details of his funeral service:

Beloved husband of Shirley, much loved dad of Andrew, David and Anna and a very dear grandad.

There was also a memory from a former student posted:

To finish, a memory from Eleanor Rawling, who succeeded Bryan as GA President, and is coming up next on the blog:

"Bryan Coates was President the year before me. He could be quite frightening with his bluff Northern manner, his rather direct sense of humour and his strong views but I learned to work with him and to like him a great deal. He was an amazing power and energy for good in the GA, particularly his unseen work at Headquarters, then in Fulwood Road. He helped to modernise and streamline the GA structure. I am not sure people know how much the GA owes him."

It's stories like this which the blog has unearthed so well.

She also shared an anecdote: 

Bryan was a great stickler for timekeeping so as Past President when he chaired my Presidential Address, he whispered in my ear just as I stood up to speak - "you'd better not over-run or I'll cut you short!!"

References

Coates, Bryan E., et al. “Annual Report of The Geographical Association.” Geography, vol. 76, no. 2, 1991, pp. 177–188. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572070 - written in association with Richard Daugherty.

Rolfe, Diane. “Twenty-Five Years of ‘Geography’ Production.” Geography, vol. 100, no. 3, 2015, pp. 159–163., www.jstor.org/stable/43825591

Presidential Address:
Coates, Bryan E. “Our Unequal World.” Geography, vol. 77, no. 1, 1992, pp. 1–9. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572138

COATES, B. E., and E. M. RAWSTRON. “Regional Incomes and Planning 1964-1965.” Geography, vol. 52, no. 4, 1967, pp. 393–402. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40566682

RAWSTRON, E. M., and B. E. COATES. “Opportunity and Affluence.” Geography, vol. 51, no. 1, 1966, pp. 1–15. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40566036. Accessed 12 Apr. 2020.

If anyone has further information on Bryan Coates that would be gratefully received. This is a relatively brief post.

Images: thanks to Sheila Jones

Updated December 2020

I can endorse everything that has already been written about Bryan Coates. He did indeed give many years of service to the Association in several roles and was both a great moderniser and a lovely man. From my time working closely, and very happily, with Bryan when we were the GA’s joint honorary secretaries for three years (1978-81) I can add a little more about his role as a ‘moderniser’. 

Once the Association moved to a model of joint honorary secretaries, one based in Sheffield and the other elsewhere, it would inevitably follow that the locally based secretary was more directly involved at the HQ offices in Sheffield (then at Fulwood Road). Bryan soon realised that all was not well with the staff at HQ and, being the no nonsense man that he was, he took to dropping in there unannounced. He kept me fully informed about the problems he found but it was very much Bryan’s initiative to embark upon a major restructuring at HQ that included early retirement for the man then in charge, the 'administrative secretary'. 

There would also be new appointments of staff members such as Julia Legg who would be crucial for the improved efficiency of the HQ office in subsequent years. All organisations need individuals who will not only see the need for change but also work hard, without looking to take credit, at making it happen. 

As to the ‘lovely man’, I will always be grateful for Bryan’s kindness to me at a personal level.

Many thanks Richard....

Update: December 2020

In 2003, Chris Kington asked a number of former Presidents what had sparked their passion for geography. He lent me the letters and Bryan replied.

It turns out that he went to Maltby Grammar School, just 3 miles away from where I went to school in Wickersley, at the Comprehensive School there. He talks about a very fierce geography master called Mr. Salmon, who was great in the field and took the students to Whitby, Malham and Eastbourne. He says:

"I dared to say we were not where he said we were. Stunned silence. Fellow students shaking with fear. Me too, in case I was wrong. After a tense discussion, he agreed with me, said SORRY and added "from now on you wll lead the way. I'll tell you where I want to go and you get us there..."

Many thanks to Chris Kington for the loan of the letters.

Update June 2021

Free book giveaway in my department and found this old book on British socioeconomic geography. Those good-old ‘70s #cartography and #dataviz style. pic.twitter.com/XlMutATofw

— Kenneth Wong (@Kenneth_KHW) June 1, 2021

Patrick Wiegand

Patrick Wiegand was the GA's Publications Officer during the 1980s.

He is referenced in 1987's Annual Report along with other GA documents.

Patrick has also authored a wide range of books, often on the theme of maps and mapping, and I have a few in my classroom library of books from the 1980s and 90s. I found one the other day when doing some tidying to organise new resources.

He taught in Primary and Secondary Schools, before moving to the School of Education at the University of Leeds. He was Reader in Geography Education at the University of Leeds and Chair of the Cartography and Children Commission of the International Cartographic Association. He is a Fellow of the British Cartographic Society, a member of the UK Committee for Cartography and recently held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship in GIS in Education. 

He was editorial adviser on atlases for Oxford University Press as well in a long career.

He contributed a think piece on Maps and Mapping to the GA website:

Download as a PDF:

https://www.geography.org.uk/write/mediauploads/research%20library/ga_tp_s_mapsatlases.pdf

He also wrote articles for GA journals:

Wiegand, Patrick. “The 'Known World' of Primary School Children.” Geography, vol. 76, no. 2, 1991, pp. 143–150. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572062. Accessed 22 Nov. 2020.

https://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/educ02/pap5027/p5027.htm

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.

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Patrick-Wiegand-2002599618

If anyone has other memories of Patrick Wiegand please get in touch.

1989: Geography in the National Curriculum

Thanks to Richard Daugherty for sending me this image of the front cover of a book he was involved in producing for the Geographical Association in 1989 to support teachers with the new National Curriculum. The arrival coincided with my teaching career beginning, so I now realise I was starting teaching at an interesting time.

I'd be pleased to hear other memories from colleagues from around that time and other books that were used...

GA NC Book Cover 1989 by Alan Parkinson on Scribd

The GA's responses to curriculum debates in the 1970s and early 80s - 1 of 2

I am grateful to Richard Daugherty for taking the time to send me a number of contributions to the blog. Richard was the GA President in 1989, and his own entry on the blog will appear in a month or so.

In the 1980s, Richard was heavily involved in the GA's response to the proposals for a National Curriculum. This sort of advisory work has gone on for decades and often happens in the background, with many GA members being unaware of the effort that goes into shaping curriculum and assessment. I have been involved in a little bit of this myself, going back about 15 years.

GA Council, which used to make decisions on GA Policy and other work were aware of the emerging National framework for Geography following an earlier speech by James Callagham which I have blogged about recently.

The following text and documents were provided by Richard. The documents themselves were uploaded for Scribd for ease of access and reading.

Throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the GA was responding to emerging ideas from Government and from the Inspectorate that would eventually result in a statutory National Curriculum for schools in England and Wales. The first section of a discussion paper for a meeting of GA Council in March 1980 summarises developments up to that point.

GA Council Paper March 1980 by Alan Parkinson

Shortly after that meeting, I co-wrote an article with Rex Walford for the Times Educational Supplement (TES), published on 18th April 1980, commenting on the curriculum proposals.

It was titled "Overlooked in the Secret Garden".

Here's Part 1 of the article.

TES Article Page 1 18th Apr... by Alan Parkinson

Here's Part 2 of the article

TES Article Page 2 18 April... by Alan Parkinson

The GA then decided to prepare and circulate a leaflet to summarise the main features of what we believed to be the subject's contribution to the education of young people'.

'Geography in the School Curriculum 5-16' was published in January 1981.

It can be seen below:

GA Pamphlet Re School Curri... by Alan Parkinson

The GA leaflet 'Geography in the School Curriculum 5-16' was distilled from lengthy discussions in GA committees into a summary of what was then agreed as the Association's view on geography's contribution to the curriculum.

Part 2 to come tomorrow.

1980s: A Case for Geography

Updated October 2020

Keith Joseph was the Secretary of State for Education when this document was created. It was a response to comments that he had made at the GA Conference 1985 and was a defence of the subject to his successor (as it turned out). The defence was collated by Patrick Bailey and Tony Binns.

References
Hansard
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1989/may/05/geography

A working party was set up and its membership is referred to here

• Mrs. Kay Edwards—Head of Geography, Penglais Comprehensive School, Aberystwyth
• Mr. Richard Lethbridge—Former chairman, Tower Steel (Holdings) plc, now a branch secretary of the Country Landowners' Association
• Mrs. Wendy Morgan—Recently retired headmistress of Elmsett Primary School, Suffolk
• Dr. Keith Paterson—Senior Lecturer in Geography, Liverpool Institute of Higher Education
• Mrs. Eleanor Rawling—National Co-ordinator, Geography Schools and Industry Project
• Mr. Michael Storm—Staff Inspector for Geography and Environmental Studies, Inner London Education Authority
• Mrs. Rachel Thomas—Member of the Countryside Commission and Exmoor National Park Committee
• Mr. Rex Walford—Lecturer in Geography and Education, University of Cambridge

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40571306.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Also published by the GA as a separate publication once it had been delivered.

Bailey, Patrick, and Tony Binns. “A Case for Geography: A Response to Sir Keith Joseph.” Geography, vol. 72, no. 4, 1987, pp. 327–331. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40571306. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020.

More to come on this nearer the time.

David Boardman - Publications Officer

This issue of the GA Newsletter / GA News featured some reflections from David Boardman during his time as Publications Officer.

He was also the editor of an edition of the 'Handbook for Geography Teachers'. 

He is one of many people who are unsung heroes of the association.

He is a long standing member of the Association and supported it in many ways.

Geography in Secondary Schools

Updated November 2020

I have a copy of this booklet, which was first published in 1952. Mine is a later revision as it has an introduction by the GA President for 1960: Arthur Austin Miller (the next to be featured on this blog)

It was written by E.W.H Briault and D.W.Shave at the request of the GA's Executive Committee of the time.

An excellent read of its time if you can get hold of a copy.

Eric Briault was a school inspector, and went on to become Inner London's Education Officer and a contemporary of Michael Storm, who was GA President in 1988.