Whatever happened to cross-curricular themes? Were they always rather cosmetic, a conciliatory gesture towards all those enthusiasts who were struggling to re-map the curriculum in those far-off pre-Education Reform Act days? Or do they remain a vital element in the national curriculum, given high priority in every subject area, the constant preoccupation of all teachers?

In terms of curriculum politics, the tone of this timely overview is understandably somewhat gloomy. Environmental education has received no governmental pronouncements since 1990, when a slender document appeared in the National Curriculum Council’s Curriculum Guidelines series.

Mark Lofthouse, writing on religious education, observes that “the 1993 Dearing Review of the National Curriculum is ominously silent concerning cross-curricular themes.” Graham Robb, discussing careers education, reminds us that “geography, a major vehicle for environmental education, is now no longer compulsory beyond KS3.” Environmental education might even be considered the runt of the CCT litter; “it is rare that a school has this theme as a key element in its school brochure, or gives it prominence in its annual report to parents. On the other hand, careers education (another CCT) may have an explicit timetable, or at least a recognisable programme of input.”

The book’s format, a mosaic of brief essays (35 authors in 138 pages) enables almost every conceivable facet of the theme to be discussed. Room is found for analyses of the potential environmental dimension within the other CCTs, and the foundation subjects. There is advice on resourcing environmental work, and explorations of relationships with other areas, from information technology to international treaties, from finance to children’s rights.

But the format is not without problems. Several contributors feel the need to remind the reader of the complexity, inter-relatedness, controversiality, of environmental themes and this imparts an occasionally incantatory flavour. Even very worthwhile observations, such as “the dangers of gloom-laden topics”, tend to appear at regular intervals, like old friends.

Nevertheless, this thoughtful symposium has much to offer, from case studies of a Northants “Pocket Park” to astute evaluation of the scienceenvironmentalism interface and history’s environmental deficit. This book joins an enterprising Leicester University-based series on all five CCTs (can you name them? ) which is evidently dedicated to restoring and maintaining a high profile for the national curriculum’s forgotten requirements.