Perth is to be at the forefront of efforts to return geography to the heart of Scotland’s school curriculum.
The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is keen to raise awareness of the wider world and its many countries in the face of lessening knowledge of other cultures.
As part of the first phase of its new project, entitled The World At Your Feet, it unveiled a giant map that has been painted on to the playground at Perth Academy.
The RSGS believes the map will provide an inspirational interactive teaching aid for a wide range of subjects, make geography a part of day-to-day school life and boost interest in the subject.
The society hopes the project will be enthusiastically adopted by primary and secondary schools all over Scotland and that its specially designed and commissioned steel stencil will soon be helping to paint the map accurately on to playgrounds around the country.
Depending on further donations to the project, the RSGS intends to develop a variety of complementary teaching materials to bring the maps to life.
A new education officer will also be appointed to pilot the scheme, develop teachers’ information packs and to share ideas for geography-related activities.
The officer will be based at the Fair Maid’s House in Perth, which became home to the society’s HQ in 2008.
The historic building was redeveloped into a geographical visitor and education centre by the society after it moved from Glasgow.
RSGS chief executive Mike Robinson said, “We think this is a fantastic opportunity to help engage children’s curiosity and encourage a broader understanding of our world.
“Now more than ever we need young people to have a good foundation in broad geographical issues. Geography’s ability to link subjects, like science and social studies, makes it a perfect medium for explaining the connections between different fields.
“We believe this map could be a vital tool in helping encourage this.”
There has already been tremendous enthusiasm for the map from schools around Scotland.
The People’s Postcode Lottery and the RSGS’ own members have helped fund the project to date, while Perth Academy’s Eco Group held a cake sale in a bid to raise £100 towards the cost of the map.
The plan now is to run a two-year pilot project, working with a few schools in different settings to develop, trial and assess various teaching resources and exercises, before rolling the project out to as many Scottish schools as possible.
For more information on the project, or to find out how to make a donation, visit www.rsgs.org or contact the RSGS on 01738 455050.