The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Educational landscape changing for geography
Geography is no longer something that is just learned from a “book and a map”, and field trips can help children understand the world around them, says Michael Palin.
The veteran traveller said the “magic appeal” of the subject lies in exploring your surroundings and being able to “see and touch and feel” what the land is like.
In an interview with the Press Association, Palin said geography is a vital subject in the modern world, “broadening” minds and encouraging an understanding of different countries and cultures.
“The world is much more accessible, and I think it is hugely important that we understand the world and why countries are where they are, why they live how they do, what the climate is, what they produce,” he said.
“Geography is no longer just something which you learn from a book and a map and that’s it.
“The world is out there, you can go and see for yourself, very often now for very small amounts of money, what the world looks like, and I think that’s a great opportunity.”
Palin’s comments come as Press Association analysis shows that A-level and GCSE geography entries have risen in recent years.
In England alone, GCSE geography entries rose by more than a third (36%) between 2012-17.
The increase is likely to have been fuelled by the introduction of the English Baccalaureate – a government measure which recognises pupils who study maths, English, science, history or geography and a language at GCSE.
At A-level, analysis shows that geography entries in England have risen by 21% over the same period.
Palin said that field trips are what first interested him in the subject.
“I looked at books, I looked at maps, I looked at atlases, I enjoyed that, but the thing that inspired me most of all was being taken... to look at nature, to look at the way the land looked, to understand the geography, to walk up little hills and streams and see how the ecological system worked.”