A conservative view of geographical education

The recent debate in JGHE and on GeogNet about skills training and common first-year courses in tertiary geographical education is put in the context of a broader distinction between education and training, a distinction that has been absent from the debate, as it is from recent discussions of school results, and one which is only paid lip-service by the Dearing Report. Education, in brief, is a project which gives students the means of thinking things through in a systematic way. In this respect, it is argued, geography has a secure place in higher education, and has no need of resort to arguments about job-training.