§ Mr. Jack ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account he has taken in the preparation of the national curriculum geography draft order of the recommendations of the geography working group and the National Curriculum Council regarding the inclusion of inquiry skills and the possible conflict between geography and environmental education.
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§ Mr. EggarThe draft order for geography accepts the greater part of the National Curriculum Council's advice. This advice was based on proposals for the geography curriculum published in June last year, which were based on the geography working group's final report. In publishing the draft order my right hon. and learned Friend explained his view that the main emphasis of the attainment targets should be on the assessment of pupils' knowledge and understanding of aspects of geography, and less emphasis should be placed on the assessment of skills which are not particular to geography and the study of people's attitudes and opinions. The draft order confirms the importance of environmental education in geography through the inclusion of a separate attainment target devoted to this subject.