A teacher at King’s Ely has assumed the presidency of the Geographical Association (GA) for the next academic year – the first time since 2004 that a working teacher has held the post.
Alan Parkinson, head of geography in the junior school, was previously vice-president of the GA last year – and will serve as president for the rest of the 2021/22 academic year. The GA is the leading subject association for teachers of geography. As a registered charity, it aims to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education with its current mission of ‘connecting teachers and inspiring quality geography’.
Parkinson worked for the GA as a secondary curriculum development leader and has worked for the school for the last eight years. He served on the secondary phase committee for 14 years.
A chartered geographer and teacher of almost 30 years, Parkinson has also found time in his career to write and edit numerous textbooks and children’s books. He is also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has won The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) Joy Tivy Education Medal, in 2013, for his writing and teaching.
The final strand of our work is empowering teachers to become curriculum makers and improve their practice – Alan Parkinson, Geographical Association
Parkinson was also one of the first teachers in the UK to become a United Nations’s accredited climate change teacher.
“I feel enormously proud to be representing our members around the world, influencing some of the work the association does to advocate for geography to policymakers, and communicating the vital importance of the subject in explaining our world – particularly given the summer of extreme weather we have experienced,” said Parkinson.
He added: “The final strand of our work is empowering teachers to become curriculum makers and improve their practice. Of the 106 presidents to date since 1893, I am the first to have previously worked for the GA as well, which gives me a great insight into the tremendous efforts made by the GA’s staff in Sheffield to support members in the way that they do.
“I’m excited to have already been invited to events in numerous countries, and to be able to visit our GA branches around the country in the coming year.”
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