puzzling syllabus

was reading through the new geog elective syllabus on the Examination Board's website. Was very happy that they included physical geography components, but was kinda puzzled by the fact that River and Coasts, as well as Natural Vegetation was chosen.

Isn't Natural Vegetation an extension of Climate? When I checked the textbook, climate is a separate topic for students doing pure geography. How can we expect the students taking geography elective to understand and appreciate natural vegetation better without first understanding climate? What's their reason? Isn't Tectonics a more exclusive topic?

At least to me, natural vegetation is the landscape manifestation of climate. The distribution of natural vegetation reflects the kind of climate the landscape has. How am I going to explain to my kids the difference between a tropical rain forest and a tropical monsoon rain forest without explaining what is monsoon and how it comes about? How would they better appreciate the characteristics of the vegetation has to over come the limits of the climate it is in?

Unless we expect them to memorise it by hard, which I think is a very effective way in killing their interest in their subject?

Puzzled. If someone knows why, please enlighten me.