Geography as a school subject has for some decades now been facing serious challenges in virtually all countries of the world. All effort to win back the honoured position of the “mother of today’s disciplines” still continues unabated in virtually all countries of the world, Nigeria inclusive.
Bola (1988) stated that the problem with geography is the way the subject has been taught over the years. The challenges and problems faced by geography in Nigeria and other developing countries are even more serious. The situation is worsened by the peculiar problems of lack of adequate staff, either in terms of quality and quantity, lack of incentives and conviction on the part of the available staff, the undue emphasis on the acquisition of certificates rather than on the quality of education.
Speaking in the same light, Faniran (1999) said that some sources of the problems faced by geography includes the allegedly wide scope of the school geography syllabus and the lack of proper and adequate guidance for the teacher, many of whom are not trained on otherwise qualified to teach the subject.
Efforts to remedy this deplorable state that the subject has found itself have been thwarted in recent years by the widening gap between geography being taught in our schools and that being taught in many of our universities. Furthermore, the geography undergraduate some finds out that he/she is being exposed to a different type of geography from that which he/she learnt in school. Consequent upon this, many of them who cannot cope with the change withdraw while others gets agitated unnecessarily.
In the present dispensation also, geography is being faced by assaults from a number of directions. An example of these assaults is at the universities, its relevance and place is being challenged by rationalization. From all that have been stated above, it is therefore pertinent for geographers, especially geography teachers at the secondary schools and colleges to ponder on the future of the discipline.
Nonetheless, the teaching of geography especially in secondary schools leaves much to be desired. Decreasing enrolment and decreasing interests in the subjects are signs of greater malaise which can threaten the existence of the discipline.
In spite of all these, Okunrotifa (cit Faniran 1999) observed that a geography teacher of whatever breed and qualification cannot and should not see himself as a finished product at the conclusion of his training. He must understand that preparation for teaching is a life or career long process. Otherwise the teacher will forget all he/she has learnt shortly after and consequently become ineffective. This is particularly true of geography today, where changes are taking place at a very rapid place. In both then substantive field and the process of teaching, a teacher must keep up to date if he/she is to stay alive professionally. Okurontifa went further to suggest that the geography teacher can do this by being exposed to good libraries and close contact with colleagues and other mentors in conferences and workshops.
Considering the deplorable condition which the subject has found itself, Okafor et al (1988), Arild (1987) Abraham (1980) and a host of other writers has advised both geography experts and teachers to work very hard in order to revive the subject.
No comments:
Post a Comment