A New Use for the Geography Chart

Abstract

Geography occupies a prominent position in the high school curriculum in China. The syllabus for geography, as for other subjects, has been centrally prescribed since the early 1900s but during the last 40 years it has undergone major changes. The current syllabus, which covers both human and physical aspects of the subject, also embraces people-environment and resource issues. Obstacles to the further development of the subject include a lack of qualified staff, wide variations in educational standards, and the fact that geography, although a “required” subject in some years, is not yet a compulsory subject in the University Entrance Examination. Gradually these problems are being addressed and there are grounds to be optimistic about the future of the discipline at this level in China.