History and geography graduates in demand

History and geography graduates in demand

Geography and history teaching graduates will be among the most sought-after educators alongside maths and science teachers in coming years, experts predict.

Those opting for a career in teaching are being encouraged to consider the once traditional disciplines, as geography and history become compulsory subjects under the new Reception to Year 10 national curriculum.

New South Wales is the only state that has taught geography and history as stand-alone subjects in high school in the past 20 to 30 years.

Other states and territories, like SA, teach the subjects as part of an integrated social studies course until the final years of high school.

As a result, geography and history teachers in SA have been on the decline, a situation exacerbated by an ageing workforce.

Changes to the new South Australian Certificate of Education, in which the number of Year 12 subjects next year will be reduced from five to four, will also affect the take-up of history and geography and the number of teachers required.

As a result, the Geography Teachers Association of SA has warned that shortages will be even more severe once the national curriculum is rolled out from 2011.

President Alexandra Piggott says the challenge is to ensure schools understand the importance of employing specialist geography and history teachers.

``With the whole Studies of Society and Environment umbrella, there is a perception that history and geography are kind of the same and can therefore be taught by either a historian or a geographer,'' she says. ``The reality is that geography is a spatial science and is quite a different animal from history, and vice versa, (so) ultimately it will depend on whether schools choose to have specialists teaching geography or not.''

The History Teachers Association of SA's president Paul Foley is adamant that once geography and history are introduced as stand-alone subjects, graduates will be in demand.

He says the association is urging SA universities to considering offering history methods - a more rigorous approach to history education - at tertiary level to ensure quality graduates.

``Only a limited number of universities, mostly in the eastern states, offer history methods,'' he says.

``The current path is to do a bachelor of arts majoring in history. That's been OK up until now. That's why we are waiting on the universities . . . there are great opportunities to step forward.''

The association has sought a commitment among education ministers, schools and universities that:

SECONDARY history teachers have completed at least one history major in their first degree and a one-year history methods program.

PRIMARY teachers have a firm foundation in primary school content of the national syllabus and an understanding of history and history pedagogy appropriate to the primary setting.

Walford College geography teacher Yolanda Hyde, 27, hopes the profession will receive a boost of younger graduates in the future.

``Geography really offers the world to students,'' she says.

``It encourages them to explore and learn things about themselves, discover interests and sparks a desire to travel.''