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President's Page
John Westaway – GA President 2007/08
I have to confess to not being a geographer from birth! Geography came to me in the early years of secondary school, not because it was particularly inspiring - I don't think any of the subject teaching at my secondary school could have been described as inspiring! - but more because I discovered that I was quite good at it – or, at least, better at it than I was at other subjects! And, as they say, success (even relative) breeds success.
I suppose I really became hooked on the subject at university - in the 'white heat' of the quantitative revolution in the late 1960s and the welfare geography movement that followed.
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My route into the GA Presidency has, I think, been a bit unusual. I started teaching at Christopher Wren School in the then Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) before moving on to become Head of Geography at Hampstead School. I was appointed to set up and run the ILEA's new Geography & Environmental Studies Teachers' Centre in 1981, which seemed to me to be as close to the perfect job as made no difference. I was involved in curriculum development and support, in-service education and liaison with the various ILEA field centres, which led to a stint on the GA's Field Studies Working Group. The role also allowed me to become involved in textbook writing and to play a full role in the Avery Hill Geography Project (GYSL).
But all good things come to an end and the impending demise of ILEA in 1989 caused me to seek new employment. So, in 1989, I entered the mysterious world of Government quangos and became one of the Professional Officers at the School Examination and Assessment Council (SEAC) looking after, of all things, science. They clearly hadn't seen my school science reports!
However, my four years in science were, as they say, interesting times. Giving talks to science teachers about the not universally popular assessment of the new science national curriculum - SATs and all that - was character building to say the least! Relief was at hand, however, in 1993, when SEAC was amalgamated with the National Curriculum Council to become the School Curriculum and Assessment Council (SCAA) and I became one of the two professional officers for geography. And there I stayed until retirement in 2006, working alongside Eleanor Rawling, surviving the metamorphosis to the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA) along the way. Although not without its frustrations, the work was most enjoyable - revising national curricula and examination criteria, developing support materials for teachers, participating in GA and local authority conferences and a host of other things besides.
Involving the GA in all that we did at QCA (and, before it, SCAA) was central to the job. We weren't always able to do exactly what the GA wanted - or even what we wanted - but the GA's contribution - through the teachers, lecturers and advisers who represented the Association - was absolutely central to achieving as good a deal for geography as we could get. Termly 'update' meetings with the GA and other subject associations - and attending the GA Education Committee as a QCA observer - led to very close working relations with the GA and, I guess, to eventual nomination for the presidency, which was not only a great honour, but also a huge surprise.
During my time at QCA, I was also responsible for education for sustainable development (ESD). One of my main aims for my presidential year is therefore to reinforce the central role that geography has to play in educating young people for sustainable development. Geography is, of course, about much more than sustainable development (as ESD is about much more than geography), but as sustainable development assumes ever greater importance in the world around us, there is a huge opportunity for geography to demonstrate its vital contribution to the education of all young people.
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| So what does the President do, then? |
When you are elected to the presidency of the GA, you in fact enter a four-year term of office, which covers four different roles: Junior Vice President, Senior Vice President, President, and Past President. The four Presidents (plus the Honorary Treasurer) form a group, which is a sub-group of the Governing Body and we advise and guide the Chief Executive on policy and strategic matters. We meet once a term with the Chief Executive to review and discuss progress towards our priorities, which are outlined in the Strategic Plan.
Since the GA has had a Chief Executive (David Lambert) the day to day running of headquarters at Solly Street has not been part of our remit, but we are always there to advise and support when required. This year, for the first time, we will be sharing David's services with the University of London Institute of Education, where he has been appointed Professor of Geographical Education. In addition to being a great achievement for David personally, his appointment is also a significant feather in the Association's cap and will, I am sure, bring great benefit to the GA. John Lyon has been appointed as Programme Director, and will take over some of David's previous responsibilities. The President also acts as line manager for the Chief Executive and carries out his Performance Management.
The highlight of any President's year is always the GA Conference, which of course includes the challenge of the Presidential Address! The theme of the 2008 Conference, which is being held at the University of Surrey in Guildford, is 'Sustaining Geography'. Don't miss it!
I am really looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the next year, especially at Conference. If you have comments about the GA or want to discuss any aspects of geography education with me, please get in touch.
John Westaway
October 2007 |
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