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Thetermgeographyreferstothestudyofthelocationanddistributionoflivingthingsandthethe planet featuresamongwhichthey(TheWorldBook, 2001).
Itdescribesitsphysicalfeatures, assets, climate, soils, plants, animals, and peoplesandtheirdivision. Geography, instandard, hasseveral objectives.
Themainobjectiveofthegeographysubjectistodevelopawarenessoftheconnection betweennatureandthemanmadeenvironment. Itprovidesthebasisforunderstandingpopulation developmentandthedistributionofresources, explainingsimilaritiesanddifferencesanddiscussing changeprocesses.
Itshallalsocontributetounderstandingandmasteringthegreatamountof informationinourtime. Therefore , thispaperdiscusestheviewthatgeographyasasubjectshouldbe madeacoresubject. Tobeginwith, geographyprovidesthebasisforunderstandingpopulationdevelopmentandthe distributionofresources, explainingsimilaritiesanddifferencesanddiscussingchangeoperations. The subjectalsogivesinsightintohownaturalresources, weatherandclimatehaveprovidedthebasisintended for thesettlementanddevelopmentofareas.
Furthermore, Geographyalsocreatesunderstandingof whyresourcesare importantforglobaldevelopment, divisionofwork andsettlement. Population developmentandglobaleconomicprocessesinfluenceeconomicdevelopmentandtheglobal distributionofgoods. TheGeographysubjectprovidesanoverviewandexplainsthelocalisationof citiesandthescopeofnaturalandmanmadeconditionsonearth(Tunney, 1976). Therefore , itiswise enoughthatthegovernmentshoulddesign acurriculumthatconsidersgeographyasacoresubjectjust likeEnglishasitisinMalawi.
Theotherthingisthat, lookingatitsobjectives? Geographysubjectiscontributingtotheunderstanding andmasteringthegreatamountofinformationinthesedays. Moreknowledgemotivatesandstimulates theabilitytoanalysecriticallyandunderstandcomprehensively. Thiscangive thepupilsagoodbasisfor participatinginthedevelopmentofsocietyinaconstructiveapproach. Animportantobjectiveofthe geographysubjectisalsotodevelopthepupils’abilitytobetolerantandunderstandtheirglobal coresponsibilities.
ThisonlyshowsthatGeographyhasawiderrangeinthesensethatitdrawslargely fromthenaturalsciencesandsocialsciences, suchas, geology, meteorology, botany, zoology, economics, andhistory. Inaddition, inordertoimprovegeographicunderstandingtothegeneralpublic: Increasedexploration attentionisgiventocertaincoremethodologicalandconceptualissuesingeographythatareespecially relevanttosociety’sproblems. Moreemphasisshouldbeplacedonprioritydriven, crosscutting tasks.
Increasedemphasisshouldbegiventoresearchthatimprovestheunderstandingofgeographic literacy, learning, andproblemsolvingandtherolesofgeographicinformationineducationanddecision making, includinginteractivelearningstrategiesandspatialdecisionsupportsystems. Thishelpsthe governmenttomanageandrunthe affairswiththeintentionofdevelopingthem. Consequently , through geographicalknowledge, oneisabletooperateinseveraldepartmentsofthegovernmenthencemeeting thefullutilizationoflimitedresourcesacountrycouldhave.
Whatismore, thegovernmentand/orthenongovernmentalorganizationshouldtakepartinthe improvementofgeographicliteracy. Geographyeducationstandardsand otherguidelinesforimproved geographyeducationintheschoolsshouldbeexaminedtoidentifysubjectswheregeography’scurrent knowledgebaseneedsconditioning. Asignificantnationalprogramshouldbeestablishedtoimprove thegeographiccompetenceoftherepublicofMalawi’sgeneralpopulationaswellasofleadersin business, government, andnongovernmentalinterestgroupsatalllevels.
Inaddition, linkagesshouldbe strengthenedbetweenacademicgeographyandusersofitsresearch. Alsoconcernedandnon concernedpartiesneedtostrengthengeographicorganizations. Sincegeographyhasawiderrangeinits operation, ahighpriorityshouldbeplacedonincreasingprofessionalinteractionsbetweengeographers andcolleaguesinothersciences. Aspecificeffortalso, shouldbemadetoidentifyandaddresses disparitiesbetweenthegrowingdemandsongeographyasasubjectandthecurrentcapabilitiesof eographytorespondasascientificself-discipline. Aspecificeffortshouldbemadeinordertoidentifyand examineneedsandopportunitiesforprofessionalgeographytofocusitsresearchandteachingon certainspecificproblemsorniches, givenlimitationsonthehumanandfinancialresourcesofthe willpower. Universityandcollegeadministratorsshouldalterrewardstructuresforacademics geographerstoencourage, recognize, andreinforcecertaincategoriesofprofessionalactivitythatare sometimesunderrated.
Toencourageimplementationoftheserecommendations: Geographicand relatedorganisationsshould worktogethertodevelopandexecuteaprogram toimplementthe recommendationsinthisdepartment. Last but not least, itshouldbementioned, however , thatgeographybeingamultidimensionalsubjectthatis usually, it encompassesseveralsubjectsordisciplines. ThecaseofHistory, HistoryandHistoryTeaching playan importantroleindevelopingnationalidentification.
Againstthebackgroundofethnic, culturalandnational conflictsinSouthEasternEuropehistory teachingwasoftenusedasatoolforpromotingnationalistic ideologies. Historytextbookshave, inmanycases, beendominatedbybiasedhistoricalinterpretations. Sensitivehistoricalissuesandgroups, suchasthehistoryofsocialandethnicminorities, thehistoryof neighbouringcountrieshaveoftenbeenexcludedfromthetextbooks.
Therefore , historyeducationin SouthEasternEuropehasbeenidentifiedasakeyissueforthereconciliationanddemocratisation processandthusforlongterm stabilityin theregionbymanykeyactorsatexpertandpoliticallevel(De Blij, 1993). Inconclusion, itisamatterof concernthatthemajorityofstudentsintheschoolcompletetheir geographicaleducationatayoungage. Theyarenormallygiventhechancetochoosethesubjectstobe studiedinordertoacquiretheircertificateattheendoftheirfirstyearofpostprimaryeducation.
Itcan be usually58subjectsinclusiveofEnglish. Itisreportedbyschoolmanagementthatappropriateguidance andconsultationwithparentsinformsthischoiceprocess, itisofconcernthatsubjectchoicesmadeat suchanearlystageinpostprimaryeducationcouldhaveasignificantimpact on subjectchoiceatsenior cycleandoncareerpathsoraccesstothirdleveleducation. Itis, therefore, recommendedthatschool managementconsiderrestructuringthecurriculumatjuniorcycletowiden therangeofcoresubjectsto includeGeography.
In thecaseofMalawi, EnglishisacompulsorysubjectofallstudentstoJunior Certificatelevel. REFERENCES DeBlij, H. J. (1993). HumanGeography: Culture, Society, andSpace. (4thEd. ). Singapore: JohnWilley TheWorldbookEncyclopedia(2001) “The_History_of_Geography_&_its_importance. “123HelpMe. com. 11Apr2012 SheilaL. C. (2004). GlobalizationandBelonging: ThePoliticsofIdentityinaChanging Globe. Boston: Rowman
