Notwithstanding the central role that has been allocated to 'history' and 'citizenship education' via the new major reform in Quebec elementary and secondary classrooms, it is a sad fact - to some - that 'geography' has apparently been sacrificed on the playing fields of contemporary curriculum revisionism. While the various secondary subject specific development teams are still hard at work (the new high school programs for grades seven and eight are not slated for trial implementation until September 2001) and time allocations and grade designations have yet to be formally finalized, the emerging plan clearly renders geography to second tier status!
While heavily engaged in the framing of the American Constitution and other matters resulting from the break with Britain, John Adams (1735-1826) found time to regularly correspond with his wife on all manner of issues. The schooling of their children was a paramount concern and in a letter dated May 12, 1780, this American leader and intellectual wrote:
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural science, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
Apparently avoiding the study of history and citizenship education, Adams centered geography as one of the key disciplines for his time. One wonders what he might make of the fact that this choice, in particular, has fallen on such hard education times?
Elementary Scene:
The now-in-place elementary program is aptly titled "Geography, History and Citizenship Education". With a very minor introduction in cycle I (the new term for grades 1 and 2), geography does indeed have a strong role to play in cycles II (grades 3 and 4) and III (grades 5 and 6). In line with most other elementary 'social studies' curricula, this one continues the tradition of dealing with map introduction, various kinds of maps, specific land forms, particular vocabulary, map application, interpretation and drawing, and other techniques that one can appreciate at these age levels and within established development abilities of the learners.
In a somewhat unique manner in this elementary program, geography is given an overarching status. The various historical epochs that are suggested in the curriculum document; such as, First Nations and Inuit peoples, New France, the Thirteen Colonies, the Inca, etc. are all meant to be placed within their own historical as well as geographic framework. A clear attempt is made to have the youngsters understand the relationship between peoples and the geographic as well as climactic/environmental factors that impacted upon a specific society's development in a particular time period.
Secondary Landscape:
Unfortunately, geography - as a separate and distinct subject - does not fare very well at the secondary level. Presently, there are two compulsory and one elective geography courses in the high school regime.
In grade seven, the first year of high school, all students are required to take a 'general geography' course. A rather traditionally orientated offering with some exposure to mapping, the course is essentially one focusing on the physical and human aspects of geography. At the grade nine level, the second compulsory geography course kicks in. Creatively titled 'Geography of Quebec and Canada', one can clearly discern the orientation and direction of this lead-in course to the present grade ten 'History of Quebec and Canada'.
While 'on the books', the elective grade eleven course in geography is not taught in any of the public secondary schools surveyed by the author. It is perhaps interesting to note that some administrators had even forgotten that the course existed as an elective! While finding a home in a couple of scattered private schools, it is clear that this elective occupies an extremely minor place within the overall curriculum landscape.
The secondary program revisions currently underway do not bode well for a strengthened place for geography. Apparently relegated to the introductory high school grades of seven and eight, the geography lobby is fighting an up-hill battle to have an additional course slotted at the grade nine level. Nonetheless, clearly eliminated from the prestigious secondary certification tier of grades ten and eleven - where History, along with its new appendage citizenship education, will have two courses - geography is fighting a survival battle to maintain a semblance of academic and professional respectability.
Reflections:
The apparent diminishing of the role and place of geography within the curriculum is also having a perhaps unanticipated but potentially far more damaging effect at McGill's Faculty of Education. Briefly, there are questions being raised as to whether the Faculty can (or should) sustain a secondary geography option within its initial teacher training program. The argument follows that if the discipline has lost its place (similar to Latin, Home Economics, and a host of other subjects over time) then why should the Faculty's meager and stretched resources be used to train beginning practitioners for a dying discipline? An interesting and heated debate is anticipated within the hallowed halls of academia as this drama unfolds.
While it may be a tad early to make bets on the place and prominence of geography within the Quebec secondary curricula which will shape youngsters at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is appropriate to lament the lack of respect and consideration being allocated to this cardinal social studies stalwart. At a time of global upheaval as well as climactic and environmental change, one can only wonder at the thought processes that diminish the importance of geography and restrict its contemporary relevance to today's youth. However, there may be some hope in that History has clearly demonstrated that government imposed curriculum tend not to stay fixed for too long and that program changes occur on a regular basis.