CHANGES IN GEOGRAPHY CURRICULA IN THE SPANISHCOMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION (ESO).

WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

Jose Somoza Medina

Geography and Geology Departament. University of León. Spainsomoza@unileon.es

Since 1990 three general laws of Education have followed one to

another in Spain. In addition, the 17 Autonomous Communities

have competences for the development of the educational

regulations within the general framework established by the state

legislation in force, generating greater heterogeneity to the

system with slightly different curricula in every region.

In relation with this fact, some Geography regional curricula has

been denounced by politicians that claim against the reinforce of

segregational feelings in historical nationalities, or on the contrary,

the deliberate forgetfulness of diversity that try to silence possible

identity riots.

In this confused panorama, the certain thing is that geography, as

a basic subject for the intellectual development of teenagers, is

losing specific weight with each reform, despite the unarguable

efforts to innovate the curricula.

One of the motives for this decline may be the ease with which the

geographical contents can be used in a partisan way. For instance in the

Geography textbook in the Basque Country, which since 1981 has been

governed by a Nationalist party, would be highly likely to have few maps

of Spain as a whole, but to include some of other territorial concepts

such as “Euskal Herria” [Basque Homeland], the group of parts of Spain

and France where some Basque is spoken.

In contrast, in the Valencian Community, governed by the Conservative

PP, references to the area of the Spanish State as a whole would be more

prominent than those at a regional level and there might be no mention of

the area where Catalan is spoken, “els Països Catalans” [the Catalan

Countries, which include the Valencian region], even though this zone

would be studied in great detail by pupils’ counterparts in the neighbouring

Autonomous Region of Catalonia.

It is not without effect that the Autonomous Communities have

not only responsibility for education but also absolute power

over the supervising, authorization and choice for use within

their territories of school textbooks

1- Changes in the National Legislation

2- Changes in the curricula

3- Innovation or immobility?

Education General Law 1970-1990 LGE.

•The compulsory education ran from 6 to 14 years of age (EGB).Eight years of schooling divided in two stages.

• A subject called “Society” was studied in the first stage of EGB,but in the second stage (12 to 14 years) the name of the subjectwas Geography and History

• The Geography that was taught was totally descriptive androte-learned, creating in the collective mind an idea of Geographyas descriptive and based solely on location of geographical items

Educative System General Organisation Law 1990-2002 LOGSE.

•The compulsory education ran from 6 to 16 years of age. PrimaryEducation (age 6-12) and Compulsory Secondary Education (age 12-16).

• The methodology in Primary Education is global and interdisciplinary.There were six broad areas of knowledge, one of them termed “Natural,Social and Cultural Environment”, which did include some geographicalcontent.

• In ESO there were 9 (10) obligatory areas of knowledge, one termed“Social Sciences, Geography and History”.

• More subjects, less time to each one. This now assigned the subjectarea Social Sciences three hours per week

Education Quality Law 2002-2006. LCE

•The compulsory education ran from 6 to 16 years of age. PrimaryEducation (age 6-12) and Compulsory Secondary Education (age 12-16).

• There should be a possibility of establishing different routes in the thirdyear of ESO, according with the decisions of a school’s evaluation team

• One of the specific objectives of Primary Education was to be for pupilsto be familiar with the fundamental elements of Natural Sciences,Geography, History and Culture. Now the name of the area was “Science,Geography and History”

•In ESO the new name for the subject was simply “Geography andHistory”.

Education Organic Law 2005 LOE.

•To establish new standards not based on exclusion and taking as theirobjective success at school for all youngsters.

•This law introduces innovatory features into how knowledge is taught,based on skills and competences.

• But also tends towards continuity with the past, adding togetherelements typical of the previous two pieces of legislation.

• The former names returns “Knowledge of the Natural, Social andCultural Environment”, and “Social Sciences, Geography and History”.

• More subjects, less time to each one. The latest law assigned to theSocial Sciences subject two hours per week.

2ESO (12-16)2006Ley Orgánica de Educación LOE

32nd stage Primary Ed. (6-11)2002Ley Orgánica de Calidad de la Educación LOCE

3ESO (12-16)1990Ley de Ordenación General del Sistema Ed. LOGSE

42nd stage EGB (11-14)1970Ley General de la Educación. LGE

Hours per week(12-14 years old)

First stage with a subjectnamed “Geography”

YearLaw

ChangesChanges

inin thethe

curriculacurricula

SinceSince LOGSE,LOGSE, threethree levelslevels ofofcurriculumcurriculum responsabilityresponsability havehave beenbeenestablishedestablished..

11-- TheThe centralcentral governmentgovernment fixfix thethenationalnational corecore curriculumcurriculum ((minimumminimumrequirementsrequirements),), wichwich impliesimplies 55%55% ofofthethe timetabletimetable inin thethe AutonomousAutonomousCommunitiesCommunities withwith aa secondsecond oficialoficiallanguagelanguage andand 65% in65% in thethe restrest..FromFrom thisthis minimumminimum curriculumcurriculum,,eacheach AutonomousAutonomous CommunitiyCommunitiydrawsdraws upup itsits ownown officialofficial curriculumcurriculum((firstfirst levellevel))

22-- Then, schools adapt andThen, schools adapt andexpand upon this basicexpand upon this basiccurriculum in what is known ascurriculum in what is known asthe second level of curricularthe second level of curricularresponsibilityresponsibility

33-- The third level corresponds toThe third level corresponds toclassroom programming, whichclassroom programming, whichconsists of a set of teachingconsists of a set of teachingunits drawn up by teachers forunits drawn up by teachers foreach group of pupilseach group of pupils

In the LOGSE Minimum requirements forIn the LOGSE Minimum requirements forGeography is pointed out that the geographicalGeography is pointed out that the geographicalareas of most relevance for the teaching ofareas of most relevance for the teaching ofGeography at school were to be Spain, with itsGeography at school were to be Spain, with itsnationalities and regions, Europe and Latinnationalities and regions, Europe and LatinAmerica.America.

In the first year of ESO materials about GeneralIn the first year of ESO materials about GeneralGeography were studied under the generic title ofGeography were studied under the generic title ofThe World and Natural Environments, while in theThe World and Natural Environments, while in thesecond year the fundamental basis wassecond year the fundamental basis wasPopulation Geography, in the topic block entitledPopulation Geography, in the topic block entitledHuman Societies. In the third year, whose socialHuman Societies. In the third year, whose socialsciences hours were given over in full tosciences hours were given over in full toGeography, the title was Geographical Spaces,Geography, the title was Geographical Spaces,and within this topic pupils studied contentand within this topic pupils studied contentrelated to Economic Geography, Urbanrelated to Economic Geography, UrbanGeography and Political Geography.Geography and Political Geography.

HoweverHowever,, thethe topictopic areasareas werewere merelymerely outlinedoutlined by aby a smallsmall setset ofof keykeypointspoints oror headlinesheadlines, so, so thatthat thethe syllabussyllabus decisionsdecisions made bymade by thethe variousvariousAutonomousAutonomous CommunitiesCommunities andand thethe specificspecific plansplans forfor eacheach schoolschool couldcouldincorporateincorporate moremore contentcontent,, togethertogether withwith certaincertain optionaloptional subjectssubjects

AmongAmong thethe objectivesobjectives andand criteriacriteria forfor assessmentassessment thethe descriptivedescriptive andandtraditionaltraditional naturenature ofof thethe GeographyGeography beingbeing taughttaught waswas clearlyclearly shownshown bybythethe abundanceabundance ofof termsterms likelike locatelocate, describe,, describe, identifyidentify oror distinguishdistinguish, as, asagainstagainst thethe lessless frequentfrequent occurrenceoccurrence ofof othersothers suchsuch asas explainexplain, relate,, relate,understandunderstand,, perceiveperceive,, oror analyseanalyse

TheThe curriculumcurriculum reformreform byby thethe ConservativeConservativegovernmentgovernment introducedintroduced quite aquite a fewfew novelnovelfeaturesfeatures.. TheThe fundamentalfundamental differencedifference laylay inin thethegreatergreater specificityspecificity ofof thethe conceptualconceptual contentscontentslistedlisted.. TheThe keykey pointspoints forfor thethe variousvarious blocksblocksbecomebecome muchmuch moremore numerousnumerous,, bringingbringing inin veryveryinterestinginteresting featuresfeatures suchsuch as remoteas remote sensingsensing andandcomputerizedcomputerized mapmap--makingmaking,, thethe problemproblem ofof ageingageingpopulationspopulations,, thethe worldworld mapmap ofof religionsreligions,, oror studystudyofof aa touristtourist areaarea onon thethe MediterraneanMediterranean coastcoast..

TheThe objectivesobjectives andand thethe assessmentassessment criteriacriterialikewiselikewise showedshowed thatthat thethe 20012001 lawlaw signifiedsignified aaveryvery positivepositive innovationinnovation forfor schoolschool GeographyGeography,,sincesince althoughalthough theythey insistedinsisted onon locationlocation andanddescriptiondescription ofof geographicalgeographical featuresfeatures theythey werewerealsoalso intendedintended toto getget thethe factsfacts understoodunderstood,, linkedlinkedandand explainedexplained byby pupilspupils..

FinallyFinally, in, in thethe 20072007 guidelinesguidelines forfor thethe commoncommon corecore itit isis possiblepossible toto seesee aaclearclear changechange ofof directiondirection, similar as, similar as thosethose occurredoccurred inin otherother countriescountries.. ThisThiscurriculumcurriculum attemptsattempts toto teachteach aa GeographyGeography thatthat isis muchmuch moremore committedcommitted totoenvironmentalenvironmental andand socialsocial featuresfeatures,, thatthat willwill makemake betterbetter citizenscitizens andand raiseraisetheirtheir awarenessawareness ofof thethe greatgreat problemsproblems thatthat preoccupypreoccupy modernmodern societiessocieties,, andandthatthat willwill aidaid pupilspupils toto perceiveperceive withwith aa scientificscientific andand criticalcritical eyeeye thethe spacespacewithinwithin whichwhich humanhuman activityactivity takestakes place.place.

OneOne partpart ofof thethe contentscontents isis toto bebe developeddeveloped bybysettingsetting problemsproblems forfor pupilspupils toto solvesolve,, hencehenceimprovingimproving theirtheir proceduralprocedural competencescompetences.. OtherOtheraspectsaspects toto bebe pickedpicked out areout are thethe specificspecific mentionmentionmademade ofof ICTICT andand thethe explicitlyexplicitly positivepositive valuevalue setsetonon diversitydiversity AA numbernumber ofof thethe headingsheadings forfor topicstopicsamongamong thethe contentscontents covercover questionsquestions ofof somesomecomplexitycomplexity butbut ofof greatgreat interestinterest,, suchsuch asasimmigrationimmigration andand integrationintegration;; changeschanges inin thethe worldworldofof workwork;; awarenessawareness--raisingraising withwith respectrespect toto thethefinitefinite naturenature ofof resourcesresources;; environmentalenvironmental risksrisksandand problemsproblems;; oror criticalcritical viewsviews ofof thethe unequalunequalspreadspread ofof developmentdevelopment andand rejectionrejection ofofinequalitiesinequalities betweenbetween individualsindividuals andand betweenbetween thethepeoplespeoples ofof thethe worldworld

TheThe objectivesobjectives andand assessmentassessment criteriacriteria alsoalsoreflectreflect thisthis pointpoint ofof viewview fromfrom whichwhichGeographyGeography isis toto bebe taughttaught.. ThusThus,, theytheyincludeinclude expressionsexpressions thatthat relaterelate toto showingshowingsensitivitysensitivity toto inequalitiesinequalities,, adoptingadopting attitudesattitudesofof solidaritysolidarity whenwhen judgingjudging migratorymigratorymovementsmovements,, oror beingbeing awareaware ofof thethe problemsproblemsthatthat thethe occupationoccupation andand exploitationexploitation ofof spacespacecancan createcreate forfor thethe environmentenvironment

The response to the questionThe response to the question

raised in the title of this secondraised in the title of this second

section must without a doubt besection must without a doubt be

““innovationinnovation””.. But, it is a pityBut, it is a pity

that teachers at ESO level havethat teachers at ESO level have

just two hours a week to coverjust two hours a week to cover

all this stimulating material.all this stimulating material.