§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he took in amending the National Curriculum Council's consultation report, to produce the draft order for geography.
§ Mr. FallonI refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mr. Fields) on 13 February at column464.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has gathered when considering the geography national curriculum about the ways in which geography teachers have studied the Gulf and explored the issues involved.
§ Mr. FallonNone.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what strategies the draft order for geography offers to teachers to enable their students to handle the amount of available information relating to geographical and environmental issues;
(2) what role is envisaged for geography, as outlined in the draft national curriculum order, in the teaching of the cross-curricular themes of economic awareness and citizenship.
§ Mr. FallonThe National Curriculum Council intends to publish detailed advice on the implementation of the statutory requirements for geography in the national curriculum. This guidance will cover issues such as the organisation of teaching within the classroom and links with cross-curricular themes.
Specific guidance on the cross-curricular themes of economic and industrial understanding and citizenship, which was published by NCC in 1990, explains in broad terms the contribution which geography and other national curriculum subjects can make towards the teaching of these themes.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what responses he has received to the draft order for geography; and how he proposes to respond.
§ Mr. FallonDuring the statutory consultation on the draft order for geography in the national curriculum, my right hon. and learned Friend received a total of 289 responses. He will consider the comments made in drawing up the final order which will set out in statute the attainment targets and programmes of study for national curriculum geography.