642 ON THE TEACHING OF GEOGRAPHY IN SCOTTISH SCHOOLS. 



prepare candidates for the Leaving Certificate examinations in Geography in combina- 

 tion with another science at the end of a course extending as a rule to five or six 

 years." That is to say that out of 78 schools wliich have Geography courses extending 

 to four years and over only 2-6 candidates per school are presented for the Lovrer 

 and Higher grades together in the Leaving Certificate. Indeed, with regard to the 

 higher standard the position, despite the optimism of the Department, appears to be 

 steadily growing worse. In 1927, of the total number of candidates offering Higher 

 Geography, 62 took it as an optional subject under the new regulations, and a small 

 number, probably about 20, took it as an additional subject under the old regulations 

 (this latter figure was not supplied by the Department, but it seems safe to assume 

 that about 80 offered Geography on the higher grade in that year). In 1928, when 

 examinations under the old regulations had ceased, there were 75 candidates under 

 the new regulations. If we bear in mind the fact that a few years ago there were over 

 150 candidates for the Higher Certificate, even though it counted only as an additional 

 subject, the seriousness of the position is manifest. The only ray of hope — and it is 

 but a feeble one — is that the number of candidates taking Geography on the lower 

 standard has increased from 76 in 1927 to 127 in 1928. The Department claims that 

 the total presentations in Geography for the Higher Leaving Certificate are now 

 actually more numerous than they were under the old regulations, but this is true, 

 and only true, if wo compare the number taking Higher Geography under the old 

 regulations with the number taking it at the higher and lower stages together under 

 the new. To say that this slight increase in numbers accounted for by an increase 

 of lower grade work indicates a marked stimulus to the subject is a misuse of language. 

 ' We have next to consider the reason.s for what appears to be a great lack of 

 geographical interest in the Scottish schools. In the first place the necessity for 

 appointing specialists in Geography has apparently not been appreciated in Scotland, 

 and the teaching of the subject has often been relegated to teachers without any 

 special preparation for their work. But, although this is so, we believe that the 

 number of qualified teachers is sufficient to train a much larger number of pupils 

 than are presented for the Leaving Certificate, and a number of these teachers have 

 already complained to us of the small amoiuit of encouragement they receive in their 

 efforts to develop the subject in their respective schools. It is only here and there 

 where an enthusiastic teacher is backed by a sympathetic headmaster that the results 

 are really satisfactory. In many cases even where Geography is carried to a fourth 

 and fifth year its study is casual, because the candidate is well aware that it is not 

 to be used for examination purposes. Again I think we are justified in our belief 

 that Geography does not always receive sympathetic consideration from the Depart- 

 ment. In our report we remarked that opposition was sometimes incurred from 

 inspectors whose university career did not include Geography, and who consequently 

 tended to favour other sciences. It is difficult to accept the Department's assurance 

 that our assumption is groundless in view of the instances which sometimes come to 

 our notice of objections to geographical teaching made by individual inspectors. 

 Even headquarters is not absolutely free from suspicion. The training college 

 authorities at Aberdeen have been forbidden to allow students in training to take the 

 graduation class in Geography out of college hours, though attendance on the class 

 of English in college hours is permitted to those who have not already taken that 

 subject. But at the back of all reasons for this neglect of Geography lies the fact 

 that the subject has never been given a fair chance by the Department. Formerly 

 it could only be taken as an additional subject in the Higher Leaving Certificate. 

 To-day it is handicapped by the fact that it must be taken along with a science, and 

 is not allowed to hold an independent position. In most boys' schools at least, physics 

 and chemistry form the usual combinatiori, and these work into one another and 

 demand less time than geography and another science would. In practice, indeed, 

 the custom is to devote to Geography less time than to other half subjects, while in fact it 

 requires more. We are strongly of opinion that the position of Geography cannot 

 be regarded as fully established until a place has been found for it as a whole subject. 

 For such a course, indeed, there is ample justification. Educationally Geography 

 occupies a special position linking up as no other subject does the scientific and 

 humanistic aspect of intellectual activity. Its value in the training of the future 

 citizen is equally great, and more especially in the training of those who do not intend 

 to take a university course. Here I may quote from the Report: " Geography with 

 History offers the only means whereby pupils can be given that groundwork of precise 

 facts which must underlie sound judgments on the national and international problems 



