イギリスの「ナショナルカリキュラムにおける地理」成立にみる地理教育改革

Abstract

In England, the Education, Reform Act 1988 was established in July 1988. In accordance with the act, the National Curriculum came to be made, which set the standards of each maintained schools' curriculum, in other words, the national standards of education.In March 1991, the part of geography in the National Curriculum was published. That is Geography in the National Curriculum (England). It has been said that England is an advanced country in geographical education. So it is expected that Geography in the National Curriculum (England) suggests how we should improve geographical education in Japan.By the way, former researches in geographical education in England have tended to discuss its teaching methods of geography without enough consideration of the background of the development of their methods, paying attention only to their surface features. The author thinks that that is caused by the state that they have not studied enough the history of geographical education in England. The purpose of this paper is to clear the history of geographical education in England and to consider what the significance of the establishment of Geography in the National Curriculum (England) is.As a result of the consideration after investigation into the history of geographical education in England and Geography in the National Curriculum (England), this three significance of the establishment of Geography in the National Curriculum (England) were found. First, the coherent standards of geographical education were set from primary education to secondary education, and geography gained the right as a compulsory subject in primary schools and secondary schools. Secondly, the methods and contents of the learning of regional geography were enriched. Thirdly, geography was made to play the nuclear part of environmental education.In future, it is necessary that Geography in the National Curriculum (England) is discussed in respect of its usefulness in Japan. On that occasion, we should consider the political intention that reflects on Geography in the National Curriculum (England), to be concrete, emphasis on economic contents and the exclusion of politically-sensitive areas.