Monday 27 October 2014

Geography

A very bright daughter of a friend told me she was going to read Geography at University.  I couldn't resist asking her a simple 'prep school' geography question ; 'Where is the Gobi Desert?'   Now actually the Gobi Desert is not some tin pot little affair but covers some 500,000 square miles of Northern China as well as a fair chunk of Mongolia but she looked at me blankly and hadn't a clue what continent it was in let alone what countries . I tried another question; 'where is the Mekong river? ' another blank stare.

What on earth do they teach in schools nowadays?  When I did my common entrance aged 12 an important part of the paper was a map of the world on which you had to identify certain rivers, mountain ranges, countries and such like.  Virtually every twelve year old in my class would have been able to pinpoint both the Gobi Desert and the Mekong river on that map but this very intelligent eighteen year old couldn't do either.

And that perhaps is what's wrong with so much modern teaching - there are no foundations. No one makes children learn the names of countries, capital cities, oceans, and deserts in Geography any more, just as no one makes children learn the kings and queens of England and important dates any more. No one either - apparently - makes children learn poetry any more either but then the poetry which is taught in school is banal boring modern blank verse so it is hardly surprising everyone switches off in class.  Teach the children proper poetry - The Charge of Light Brigade by Tennyson, the Pied Piper by Browning or Lepanto by Chesterton to give but three examples and they would be a very poor lot of children who wouldn't be gripped and inspired but that would never do would it -these poets wrote poems everyone could enjoy without having them explained to them by so called experts so clearly they are not good and -even worse- they are not - that awful word - relevant    .

11 comments:

  1. Here one A-Level Geography syllabus that I just found by Googling, so you can have a look at what they teach in schools these days:

    http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/a-level/geography-2030/subject-content

    Rgds

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  2. I absolutely loved the first installment of "Life is Toff". I saw a one-off about your family several years ago, so when I saw there was to be a series, I was delighted.

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  3. Sadly all these references have just been lumped together as useful knowledge to have in a Pub Quiz. Along with English grammar, punctuation and syntax, sound general knowledge has become yet another area of education parents must tutor their children in.
    A sound basis installed in early life brings such riches and a quality to life later on. It's like building a house with no foundations, nothing lasting or of value can ever come of it.
    I say this with sadness for our children not just with middle aged grumpiness.

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  4. Schools are one problem,however there is a deeper wound in this great country. I point your attention to many parents,who themselves dont know the answer to these questions. Over the years we have made progress in social care and environmental awareness but we are forgetting the very basics. Bring back the 1950's education system,let the pupils addrss their teachers and peers with a Sir or Ms. There are many problems that will be solved with Respect for elders and authority. I would not make a popular political figure with my views but alot can be said for Nation Service and a tighter educational system. Never change Mr Fulford,your values are a welcome change.

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    1. You write one of the best arguments about modern 'education' and society I have ever read.

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  5. Understanding comes from education, not teaching..... understanding leads to knowledge, teaching leads to exam passes.

    The big picture can never be gained from 2 years learning to pass exams.

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  6. Education is shocking these days! Was talking to a Jesus (Oxford) chemistry DPhil the other day who thought vinegar was acerbic acid! Beggars belief doesn't it? Wouldn't have got that from a Balliol man!

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  7. Richly comic! A new university was it? I once knew an Oxford doctorate who thought vinegar was acerbic acid! It beggars belief; still he was at Stew's! You'd never get that from a Balliol boy lol

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  8. Francis... are you are now and always have been the dogs bollox, in my humble opinion...never change!

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  9. The above should in fact read...Francis... you are now, and always have been the dogs bollox, in my humble opinion...never change!

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    1. Me and my partner are huge fans of the fulford family we havnt missed a programme, we love how normal you are n how you don't give a f***k and act ur self's. We laugh with enjoyable laughter! Quality. Realy interested in getting to know the history of the 800 year old estate, do you ever do tours of the fulford estate if so when ?

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