Council of British Geography (COBRIG)
COBRIG exists to promote and advance geography and geographical education in the four regions of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
COBRIG was established in 1988 to co-ordinate and, where appropriate, initiate and act on behalf of geography on matters concerning the status of geography in education, research and public policy and affairs; and over issues where the views of geographers ought to be made known.
Objectives
COBRIG’s objectives are:
- To enable member organisations to exchange information, ideas and views on matters, policies and practices related to geographical education in general, academic geography and research across the four regions and to identify common concerns and issues therein.
- To act as a spokesperson and a point of reference for the subject in order to be able to represent the views of the geographical community on major issues affecting:
- The status of the subject in the four regions and its constituent organisations and members.
- Matters of public interest and policy on which the views of geographers ought to be known.
- To follow a flexible and wide-ranging brief embracing the following general areas:
- Policies and proposals affecting geography at all levels of education from primary and early years to higher education, including research.
- Provision of resources for geography in education at all levels including research.
- Matters of scientific and public concern both national and international to which geographers ought to contribute.
- The raising of public awareness of geography through the media and through the websites of member organisations of the role that geography can and does play in the day to day matters of the four regions.
Membership
COBRIG’s membership includes representatives of all major geographical organisations in the UK. This includes:
- Conference of Heads of Geography in UK Higher Education Institutions (CHGHEI)
- Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, Northern Ireland (CCEA)
- ESTYN
- Geographical Association (GA)
- Office of Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, England (OFSTED)
- Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS)
- Scottish Association of Geography Teachers (SAGT)
- Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) (RGS)
With representatives from further education geography and from the Government Geography Profession (GGP).
Additional organisations or individuals in line with the remit of COBRIG can be co-opted.