Botany

[Cortina]

It seems that this was once hugely important at school? Children would have been expected to know the latin names for flora and fauna etc. Nature rambles, flower pressing etc all on the curriculum. Did this get absorbed into 'biology' in time? Why did it seemingly disappear?

Just doing some research and I am surprised that this subject seems to have taken up so much time at school and been so valued at one time. Quite reassuringly quaint in a way.

I'd say that a lot of what was classed as 'botany' pure and simple is now covered in biology, under more specific names - so fieldwork, taxonomy, natural variation and selection, adapation, evolution etc. On the other hand, there's now a much greater emphasis on human biology than there was in the past.

it was all biology in my day and i'm no spring chicken. We don't focus as much on classification as Biology, as a subject has grown or could I even say evolved (sorry). DNA. genetics, genetic engineering, environmental issues have all squeezed out classification. I like classification and all that but I would think it would be a big turn off for the majority of kids if we spent a long time on it.
We still dissect flowers, pond dip and carry out field work which requires classification.