Petition · past parliament · Department for Education

Amend the curriculum to require schools to use the Gall-Peters Projection map

Closed 47 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government should amend the national curriculum so that schools are required to teach using the Gall-Peters Projection map, which accurately reflects Africa and other countries with a majority black population, to their correct sizes, unlike other maps that are still in use.
In 1569, a map was created by a Flemish cartographer ‘Gerardus Mercator’. His map was used as a navigation instrument for sailors to plot distances on an arced surface. Slave Traders found this map helpful when following a course with parallel alignment and triangle rules. This map is still being used today.

An alternative to Mercator’s map is ‘Gall-Peters Projection’, which proportionately reflects Africa and other countries with a majority black population, to their correct sizes.

Timeline

19 Aug 2020 Petition opened for signatures
19 Feb 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 47
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 19 Aug 2020
Closed 19 Feb 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.