Geography disappearing from England's schools

Geography is disappearing from many of England's schools as pupils face poor lessons and later abandon a subject they find "boring and irrelevant", inspectors warned today.

Geography is disappearing from many of England's schools as pupils face poor lessons and later abandon a subject they find "boring and irrelevant", inspectors warned today.

Many children are being denied "crucial elements of a broad and balanced education" because schools are failing to provide good geography lessons, according to a damning new Ofsted report.

The study, based on observations of geography classes at 91 primaries and 90 secondaries in England between 2007 and 2010, found that the subject is under pressure in the vast majority of schools.

In around one in 10 of the primaries visited, geography was more or less disappearing, inspectors found, and in around half of the primaries visited, pupils in some classes were not taught the subject at all.

Over half of secondary schools had reduced time for geography for 11 to 14-year-olds at Key Stage 3.

Inspectors raised concerns that while A-level and GCSE standards in geography have improved, fewer youngsters are taking the subject.

"Subject choice has increased at GCSE, which may partly account for the relative and continued decline in numbers opting for traditional subjects such as geography.

"However perceptions of geography in Key Stage 3 as boring or irrelevant were also influencing their choice of subjects in Key Stage 4."