Geology in recession

There is growing concern among secondary school and university teachers about the decline of subjects in the current LOMLoe curricula, especially regarding Geology and other sciences. Geology, as the fourth experimental science, is in the same rank as Physics, Chemistry and Biology. However, it has been significantly reduced in the educational curricula, favouring the skills-based pedagogies, which the LOMLoe promotes with the elimination of scientific specializations in general. This is reflected in the poor results in sciences in the latest PISA test, in the TIMSS study or in the Geology-Biology merger in the first year of upper secondary school in Catalonia.

The DANA storm in Valencia, the Tajogaite volcano eruption in La Palma or the collapse of the Carmel neighbourhood in Barcelona were disasters that, with greater geological prevention, would have reduced their impact in terms of destruction and public spending. Today, many companies, entities and governments have to make decisions regarding geology such as droughts, climate change and geological risks. However, professionals and society are becoming less educated on Geology and sciences in general. High schools can confirm these studies are almost inexistent in their curricula.

For instance, in Catalonia, during the four years of compulsory secondary education (ESO), Geology is a mandatory subject for only a trimester, which is why many students finish their studies without knowing a thing about the subject.

Another example is seen in the university entrance exams, where Geology and Environmental Sciences receive low weightings. Recently, the same has happened in the decree that merges Geology with Biology in the first year of upper secondary school in Catalonia.

The deans of the faculties that teach Geology or related studies, together with entities and associations such as AEPECT, ICGC, SGE, SIGMADOT or Geologia en Lluita have denounced this fact, but the Ministry of Education has not given any solution.

The fact that educational policies have almost eliminated Geology and other sciences in high school curricula is very worrying. Our policy argues that it is a priority to promote educational paths with more optional subjects to the detriment of fewer core specialisations, repeating the mistakes of the 1990s with the excess of optional subjects that cancelled out general knowledge among our students in mathematics, languages, sciences and humanities.

We need to wonder whether removing Geology from our educational curricula is worth it given that geological literacy saves lives, protects property and saves taxes. If we do not promote geological culture, we will end up believing flat-Earth theories, we will mistake a dinosaur for a medieval excavation, and will think that groundwater can be explored with a pendulum, which, by the way, is already happening.