Examination of Witness (Questions 640-650)
19 JANUARY 2005
DR DAVID
LAMBERT
Q640 Mr Thomas: I think I am right in
recalling that Ofsted said fairly recently that geography was
the least well-taught subject in secondary schools. Is that right?
Mr Lambert: That was the headline
which was attached to the report, the statement.
Q641 Mr Thomas: The statement which was
attached, yes. The reason I ask that is simply that the evidence
you have given so far seems to suggest that geography is the natural
home for a lot of this work and it is where it can become embedded
most easily within the curriculum; also you have said how difficult
it is to teach, for all the reasons you have set out, which I
accept. Then the one time that Ofsted has said anything which
perhaps relates to this it is in a rather negative context. Does
not all this add up to a bit of a triple whammy against sustainable
development in schools?
Mr Lambert: In the statement,
the Chief Inspector said that where geography is well taught it
is exceptionally stimulating and motivating for children. The
problem is that it is not well taught often enough nor on a wide
enough basis. His criticism was partly to do with the way that
geography sometimes is in a fairly reduced state, the experience
is very heavily fact-based and it is not terribly well conceived
in terms of its inquiry, open-ended, and that sort of thing. I
read that statement and I think a lot did in the community in
actually quite a positive way. The Chief Inspector was putting
on record that there is considerable room for improvement in geography
teaching and the goals are well worth striving for.
Q642 Mr Thomas: Was part of that room
for improvement the need to get children out of the school and
into field studies?
Mr Lambert: I do not think he
mentioned that specifically in the statement, but on a broader
base, yes, I would say that fieldwork is under serious threat
at the moment, for various reasons this Committee must understand.
If it were to be in an even more reduced state, I think the quality
of geography education would go down with it, yes. I think the
whole point of geography, of course, is engaging with the real
world.
Q643 Mr Thomas: Is a school garden a
replacement for a week's field study?
Mr Lambert: No.
Q644 Mr Thomas: Have you seen any real
changes in terms of local education authority support for the
whole range of field studies, environmental education as was,
perhaps now we are moving towards Education for Sustainable Development,
within the Geographical Association, within your membership, the
teachers? Have they seen what I suspect would not be an improvement,
but are you able to discern a material difference in the way in
which local authorities are supporting field studies, in particular,
and the opportunity therefore for children to engage in this?
Mr Lambert: You are right, there
is no improvement to report.
Q645 Mr Thomas: It is early years, mind
you?
Mr Lambert: Indeed, the support
in recent years has declined, I would say.
Q646 Mr Thomas: Is that something you
are concerned about, as an Association?
Mr Lambert: We are very concerned,
yes.
Q647 Chairman: Really, you would support
those representations which we have received, which say that field
studies are absolutely important?
Mr Lambert: Absolutely. Fieldwork
in this country is an absolute jewel which has built up over many,
many decades and has a long tradition, and it would be a great
shame for it to wither any further. It is not just work outside
school during the day locally but it is residential trips, where
children can engage at a very deep level with each other and with
teachers, with the real world.
Q648 Chairman: It is very helpful to
have that perspective from you. You have mentioned your relationship
with the Department, as a subject Association, and I think what
has come across is that the DfES is also getting advice from Forum
for the Future, Sustainable Development Commission. Do you have
any perspective on that? Where do you sit? If, quite rightly,
new relationships are being developed with Forum for the Future
and with the SDC, where does that leave you?
Mr Lambert: Perhaps in a rather
marginal position, and yet I would urge, and I do, I think it
is an important part of my job, as I said right at the beginning,
subjects have an incredibly important role to play here. I would
hope that the GA, but the other subject associations too, would
have an opportunity to engage even more meaningfully with the
strategy over some years. What we can bring to the table in particular
is work with teachers on the ground and, as I keep emphasising,
without that I think there are big holes in the policy. It is
quite an important point, I think; the whole point of subject
associations is that they interact directly with teachers. It
is teachers who are our members, so we are not dealing with schools,
we are not dealing with LEAs, we are dealing with teachers, and
that is our unique contribution, it is what we can bring to the
table.
Q649 Mr Ainsworth: Are you a teacher
yourself?
Mr Lambert: I am a former teacher
and teacher-educator.. Twelve years in a comprehensive school:
the best years of my life.
Q650 Chairman: On that note, we are up
against time constraints, but may I thank you very much for coming
along and for the evidence that you have given us, and we hope
that you and your fellow members will take a keen interest in
our report once it is published?
Mr Lambert: We will. Thank you
very much indeed.
Chairman: Thank you very much indeed.
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