APPENDIX 21
Memorandum from The Geographical Association
(GA)
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Geographical Association (GA) represents
the interests of teachers of geography in all phases of education
from pre-school through to teacher training. Our aim is to "further
the study and teaching of geography" which we believe makes
a major contribution to the physical, intellectual, social and
emotional development of young people. Geography addresses the
complexity of human and physical environments; makes connections
between natural, economic, social political and technological
systems; helps students to understand that there may be more than
one way of tackling specific real-life problems, and empowers
all young people to become active global citizens.
1.2 The GA specifically addresses issues
to do with ESD through its Environmental and Sustainable Development
Education Working Group, a sub-committee of the Education Standing
Committee, but support for the teaching of ESD through geography
permeates our publications and the professional development programme
delivered through our Annual Conference. To illustrate, please
find enclosed the Annual Conference programme for this year and
the current Position Statement designed to help articulate the
subject to non specialist teachers, curriculum managers and pupils.
In our recent journals there are articles offering specific guidance
on ESD and details of these, together with details of other relevant
GA publications are appended.
2. ESD ACROSS
THE CURRICULUM
2.1 There is now a priority need for integrated
and integrative leadership, within and across sectors, which synthesises
existing knowledge and best practice, and makes them available
to ongoing initiatives. Such leadership would include the following:
— commissioning research, particularly
into
(i) the mainstreaming of sustainable
development issues into learning, and
(ii) the relationship between sustainable
development and life-long learning;
— making better use of existing research,
long-term cross-sector strategic planning, development of transferable
skills and flexibility;
— cross-sector monitoring and evaluation
of progress in education relating to sustainable development;
— identification, support and coordination
of champions throughout different sectors;
— networking of practitioners in order
to examine effective practice;
— promotion of, and leadership contributions
to UK, European, Commonwealth and international developments.
3. ESD AND GEOGRAPHY
3.1 Role of geography
3.1.1 John Huckle (2002a:64) notes that
the national curriculum for schools in England gives geography
the major responsibility for education for sustainable development:
"Geography is a focus within the curriculum
for understanding and resolving issues about the environment and
sustainable development. It is also an important link between
the natural and social sciences."
"Pupils should be taught to explore the
idea of sustainable development and recognise its implications
for people, places and environments for their own lives."
(DfEE/QCA, 1999, p. 23)
3.1.2 These views were reinforced by Baroness
Ashton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for School Standards
and Early Years, when she spoke at the Council for Environmental
Education's Annual Conference in November 2001 (CEE, 2002):
"When it comes to looking beyond the confines
of a local community, the curriculum has a very important part
to play, most obviously to me, through geography, languages and
citizenship . . . Through its teaching, children learn about the
world in which they live and the interdependence of the planet.
They begin to understand the impact their lives have on others
(and) how they choose to live their lives can dramatically affect
how someone else can live their own. I want to offer . . . young
people the chance to value the world around them, to nurture their
own communities, to understand the issues that confront them and
find solutions within a culture of lifelong learning and growth."
3.1.3 Also speaking at the conference, Rita
Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society, stated that:
"Good geography contributes to . . . environmental
understanding, and leads on to the responsibility of citizens
and an awareness of the human impact on the environment. It leads
to cultural awareness through the understanding of society and
the diversity of cultures, and hence it contributes to the agenda
of tolerance in society. It also leads to an understanding of
inter-connectiveness . . . and to knowledge of disadvantage and
inequality, and (their) contribution to social concerns . . .
Education for sustainable development (needs) not just knowledge
of concepts, but ownership of the issues (which) comes from first
hand experience (CEE, 2002)."
3.1.4 In principle, at least, geography
teachers might welcome such statements, in part, to applaud the
recognition of existing curriculum development in school geography,
but also as a spur to reorienting current priorities (Hicks, 2001).
Huckle, though, (2002b, p.87) sounds notes of caution, by stating
that "At its best school geography is the most satisfactory
form of social and environmental education we have, but that is
not to say that it is ideal" (2002b, p.87). He looks to the
philosophical foundations and key concepts of what he terms "political
ecology" to reform and strengthen geography's contribution
to a reshaped and refocused education for sustainable development.
3.2 What's not been so effective?
3.2.1 It needs to be emphasised that a plethora
of initiatives does not amount to a national strategy, and in
terms of education and sustainable development, many disparate
initiatives, valuable in themselves, have not yet been linked
to advantage. Often this is because teachers, local government
officers, NGO employees, and others have lacked the understanding
and/or the infrastructural support to realise such integration,
particularly at the interface of bottom-up with top-down approaches
to education for sustainable development. Examples are the development
of parallel, unconnected life-long learning and sustainable development
initiatives in some local authorities, uncertainty within schools
and NGOs regarding funding mechanisms and funding priorities (environmental
education, development education, sustainable development, inclusion,
etc.), and the lack of integration between school curriculum development
and LA21 work.
3.2.2 A related point is that ESD continues
to be too often seen as a costly bolt-on to existing programmes,
rather than as a means and opportunity better to achieve existing
goals for education and for sustainable development. In terms
of geography teaching, this raises a number of issues about the
status and priorities within continuing professional development
(CPD) and initial teacher education, and the prior knowledge,
experience and expertise that novice and experienced teachers
bring to sustainable development education through geography.
Most fundamentally, it suggests a widespread need to recast geography
(and other) teaching as the provision to learners of a resource
for living and for learning.
4. ROLE OF
THE GA IN
RELATION TO
ESD
4.1 ESD implies technically very challenging
teaching. It requires teachers to get pupils to participate in
a culture of argument (which, of course, is not supported by testing,
league tables and other structural features of the school environment
in which pupils and teachers work). It requires pupils and teachers
to grapple with complexity and uncertainty and risk analysis.
4.2 In this context, the GA seeks:
— To identify good practice.
— To support the development of school
policies.
— To be represented on the government
panel on ESD.
— To promote the incorporation of ESD
into GCSE and A level specifications.
5. ESD AND VOCATIONAL
COURSES
5.1 There would seem to be potential for
ESD to contribute to the development of future vocational options
at post-14. In particular to a land based curriculum that focuses
on both the understandings and the practical skills required to
implement sustainable development. This could cover the issues
and practice concerning composting/waste reduction, localisation
of food production, principles of permaculture, sustainable woodland
cultivation, ecological building, renewable energy systems, green
tourism and transport futures. Geographers would be ideally placed
as the coordinators of such a curriculum drawing on the skills
of crafts and tradespeople in the locality to deliver the practical
experience. This would ensure that geography has a role in the
development of vocational courses beyond the "Leisure and
Tourism" option.
February 2003
REFERENCES
CEE (2002) Reports from the CEE National Conference
2001: The Power of Place in Learning for Sustainable Development
http://www.cee.org.uk accessed March 2002
DfEE/QCA (1999) The National Curriculum for
England: Geography. London. DfEE/QCA
Hicks D (2001) "Envisioning a better world".
Teaching Geography Vol 26/2. Sheffield. Geographical Association.
Huckle J (2002a) "Reconstructing nature:
towards a geographical education for sustainable development".
Geography Vol 87/1. Sheffield. Geographical Association.
Huckle J (2002b) "Rejoinder 1: a response".
Geography Vol 87/1. Sheffield. Geographical Association
GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION:
SOME RECENT
REFERENCES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Handbook of Primary Geography, edited by Roger
Carter. Revised and updated 2000. (Chapters 20 and 21 deal specifically
with ESDE.)
Handbook of Post-16 Geography, edited by Andrew
Powell. 1997. (Chapters 15 and 16 deal with ESDE issues.)
Geography and the New Agenda: Citizenship, PSHE
and Sustainable Development in the Secondary Curriculum, Keith
Grimwade, Alan Reid and Linda Thompson, 2000.
Geography and the New Agenda: Citizenship, PSHE
and Sustainable Development in the Primary Curriculum, Keith Grimwade,
Elaine Jackson, Alan Reid and Maggie Smith, April 2000.
Beyond the Bikesheds: Fresh approaches to fieldwork
in the school locality, David Job, Clare Day and Tony Smyth. (Promotes
ESDE through fieldwork.)
Theory into Practice: Global Citizenship Education,
Helen Walkington. 1999.
Teaching Geography
April 2001—Special Focus on "Teaching
and learning about Citizenship and Sustainable Development
— Leaving more than just footprints,
Editorial, Louise Robinson
— Envisioning a better world, David
Hicks
— Geography, citizenship and the local
community, Michael McPartland
— Fieldwork for a change, David Job
— Environmental change, sustainable
development and citizenship, Alan Reid
— "Citizen scientists" at
work on the Chicago River, John Giles and Chris Parson
— Investigating disability and inclusive
landscapes, Rob Kitchin
— The geography of awe and wonder,
Simon Ross
— Valuing global citizenship, Louise
Douglas
October 2001
— Citizenship and sustainable development
through geography, Tony Smyth
— The CLIMATE conservation project,
David Anthony Murray
January 2002
— Sustainable tourism in the Peruvian
tropical rainforest
April 2002
— Putting your foot in it, Raphael
Heath
July 2002
— Sustainable development education
and Curriculum 2000, Ros Wade
— Investigating sustainability while
maximising student use of ICT, Catrin Treanor
Primary Geographer
January 2001—Special Focus on sustainable
development
— Sustainable cities, Bill Chambers
and Wendy Garner
— What is doing your bit? Alan Reid
and Maggie Smith
— How are you doing your bit? Maggie
Smith
— Getting to grips, Ralph Hare and
Steve Parke
— Geothink 4: Sense and sustainability,
Colin Bridge
— Tomorrow in mind, Ben Ballin
— It's not fair! Louise Robinson
— Learn as you grow, Paula Owens
— More than just environmental education,
Stephanie Turner
April 2001
— Early Years environmental experiences,
Kate Russell
January 2002
— Making trade work for the poorest,
Jo Jones
— Change for the better, Dylan Theodore
— Going global, Alan Lambourne
April 2002
— Thinking skills for the wider world,
Steve Brace
— Global power, Simon Asquith
October 2002
— Investigating place: a global approach?
Elaine Miskell
Geography
January 2002
— Reconstructing Nature: Towards a
Geographical Education for Sustainable Development, John Huckle
July 2002—sustainable Development Special
— Sustainable Development—from
Rio to Johannesburg, Guest Editorial Guy M Robinson
— Pathways to Sustainability? Michael
Redclift
— Towards Sustainable Rural Resource
Management in Sub-Saharan Africa, Jennifer A Elliot
— Developing Sustainable Agriculture,
Ian Bowler
— The Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable
Development for China, Gordon McGranahan and David Satterthwaite
— Gender Equality: A Pre-requisite
for Sustainable Development, Susan Buckingham-Hatfield
— Climate Change and the Temple of
Sustainable Development, Greg O'Hare
— Education and Sustainable Development
in the UK: An exploration of progress since Rio, alan Reid, William
Scott and Stephen Gough
October 2002
— Cultural outlooks and the global
quest for sustainable environmental management, Mairi Jay and
Munir Morad
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