THE number of pupils studying geography is declining in the vast majority of Scottish schools, according to a snapshot survey.

A poll by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) and the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers (SAGT) found 87 per cent of teachers said there had been a "large drop" in take-up.

The survey found the rate of decline varied from a 25 per cent drop to 100 per cent - with geography ceasing to be taught above S3 in some schools.

Mike Robinson, chief executive of RSGS, said the cause of the decline was the introduction of new National exams which have replaced Standard Grades as part of the new Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).

Under the previous system, Standard Grades were studied over two years from S3 to S4, allowing seven subjects to be taken, whereas the new courses are taken over one year, in S4. That leaves many schools with too few teaching hours to fit in more than six subjects.

Mr Robinson said 58 per cent of the 314 teachers who responded from council areas across Scotland said their schools were only teaching five or six subjects at National 4 and National 5.

He said: "If you consider that two of those subjects are maths and English, that is leaving the majority of pupils with only three or four other subjects to choose from.

"Geography, itself a broad subject, is suffering and the result is a greatly narrowed choice for pupils when one of the strengths of the Scottish system was allegedly the breadth of the education.

"We are deeply concerned for the future of geography in Scottish schools and I am sure other subjects must share our concern - as such a broad subject, geography is a way for pupils to keep their options open because it spans science and social studies whilst also addressing literacy and numeracy."

RSGS warned last year that local authority budget cuts and a resulting shortage of teachers had led to geography being taught by non-specialists.

They also said the narrowing of the course material had led to crucial "scientific" elements of the subject being "stripped out".

The Scottish Parent Teacher Council has already expressed concerns about the narrowing effect of CfE on subject choice, with a spokeswoman saying: "It has been sold to parents on the basis of increased flexibility and personalisation. Where schools are adhering rigidly to the guidance, the reality has been subject reduction, limiting access to qualifications."

An Education Scotland spokeswoman said geography was being taught in primary schools and secondary schools, giving pupils a "strong platform" for later learning.

She said: "The senior phase is not about how many subjects you take, it is about learning across a range of subjects which offer depth, challenge and choice.

"Schools will offer different numbers of subjects, young people can study different subjects across years and they take a diverse range of qualifications, there is no 'one size fits all' within CfE.

"The placing of geography within the social studies area of the curriculum is long standing and widely supported. Teachers will identify opportunities to develop and reinforce social studies knowledge and skills through working with their colleagues across other curriculum areas."

The warning comes as the spotlight continues to focus on whether CfE has delivered significant improvement to education in Scotland.

CfE was supposed to make subjects more relevant, free up teachers' time and develop more relevant skills among pupils, but it has been dogged by concerns over teacher workload and confusion over when pupils decide to study particular subjects.

Education experts from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are due to arrive in Scotland to evaluate the implementation and impact of CfE after being invited by the Scottish Government. However, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has already warned the introduction of CfE was marred by "profound weaknesses".