A group of Perth pupils have been putting pressure on the Scottish Government to overturn plans to remove higher geology from the curriculum from 2015.
The Perth High pupils visited the Scottish Parliament to give a talk to MSPs about how much they have enjoyed studying the subject.
Their enthusiastic presentation has sparked a discussion about the value of geology, and earth sciences, in the Scottish curriculum.
Opponents believe the decision to drop it as an examinable subject is led not so much by a lack of take-up by students as by a lack of teacher training, as there had been no geology in teacher training since 1985.
The replacement qualification of environmental science does not have much earth science content, and opponents of the decision believe it is a betrayal of Scotland’s identity as the “home of modern geology”.
The nation is regarded as one of the most geodiverse regions on the planet, and geologists are involved in pioneering work in petroleum, water resources, natural hazards, environmental problems and climate change.
The timing of the decision has also been questioned as it comes when other countries, including England, Japan, Norway and Australia, are increasing the provision of geology and earth science education.
The Perth pupils’ visit aimed to shine a light on the importance of the subject and was arranged by Dr Joyce Gilbert, education officer at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in Perth, and hosted by Conservative MSP Liz Smith.
Their visit was supported by a group of experts in the field, including Dr Ruth Robinson, senior lecturer in earth sciences from St Andrews University; Professor Stuart Monro, scientific director at Our Dynamic Earth; and their teacher Rachel Hay and, by video link, by RSGS’ president Professor Iain Stewart, a geologist known for his presenting work on the BBC programmes Men Of Rock, How to Grow a Planet and Volcano Live.
The students argued the case for ensuring that geology continues to be represented in the new Scottish curriculum to seven MSPs from across the parties.