Abstract
THE Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Geographical Society A was held in the theatre of London University on Thursday, the Right Hon. Lord Aberdare, F.R.S., President, in the chair. In his address, Lord Aberdare referred to Mr. Keltic's report on the position of geographical education in England and on the Continent. The Report, Lord Aberdare stated, contains statements and recommendations of the highest interest and importance. Of the state of geographical education in Great Britain Mr. Keltic draws a very dismal picture. “There is no encouragement to give the subject a prominent place in the school curriculum; no provision, except at elementary normal schools, for the training of teachers in the facts and principles of the subject, and in the best methods of teaching it ; no inducement to publishers to produce maps, globes, pictures, reliefs, or other apparatus of the quality and in the variety to be found on the Continent; while our ordinary text-books are, as a rule, unskilful compilations by men who have no special knowledge of their subject.” This neglect is attributed to the “exigencies of examination.” Geography, as a class-subject, “does not pay.” It is not recognised at the Universities by either professorship or readership; it does not find a real place at any of their examinations; while in the Army and Navy examinations it is at a discount; and such geography as is given is of a very partial character, and is merely left to crammers. These unsatisfactory statements are justified by a large amount of evidence. In striking contrast to this picture is that which Mr. Keltic presents of the state of geographical education in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and several other countries of Europe. Germany, as might be expected, takes the lead, and does its work most thoroughly. But the systematic study of geography is even there of recent creation. It prevails in twelve out of the twenty-one universities of Germany; and nearly all the twelve existing professorships of geography have been founded within the last twelve years. “The ideal aimed at, and being rapidly carried out, is to have one continuous course of geographical instruction from the youngest school-year up to the university.” And Mr. Keltic deals with these ascending courses, showing in detail the teaching from the elementary to the higher schools, and in the universities. His examples of lessons he himself heard at some of these schools are most graphic, and suggest their high value in any course of intelligent education.
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Anniversary of the Royal Geographical Society . Nature 32, 136–137 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/032136a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/032136a0