WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3802/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Removal of geography from the school curriculum in Italy
Date: 1997-11-26
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: Italy, competence of the Member States, geography, national law, school legislation, secondary education, teaching

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/19

(98/C 187/29)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3545/97

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Progress towards harmonization of motor vehicle number plates

Symbols are one of the most effective ways of making European citizens identify with the idea that they are part
of a community within the European Union.

That is why the harmonization of motor vehicle number plates to include the Union logo has been one of the most
successful factors in helping to popularize the ideas which help to establish this sense of community in Europe.

However, not all countries have yet adopted the new harmonized number plate, to the disappointment of the
citizens concerned.

Does  the  Commission  consider  that  encouragement  should  be  given  to  those  countries  which  have  not  yet
introduced the harmonized number plate with the Community logo to do so as swiftly as possible?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(19 December 1997)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his written question No E-2574/92 (1).

Since then, Germany and France have also adopted the Community model of number plates in addition to Ireland
and Portugal.

(1)  OJ C 86, 26.3.1993.

(98/C 187/30)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3550/97

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Abandonment of teaching of geography in Italy

Is the Commission aware that the Italian Ministry of Education(cid:146)s pilot project relating to the first two years of
(cid:145)higher  secondary(cid:146)  teaching,  which  has  already  been  introduced  in  150  establishments,  does  not  include  any
geography. This has a whole series of serious implications for the teaching profession since many teachers of
geography are being forced to (cid:145)quit(cid:146).

1.

Does the Commission agree that this will greatly undermine educational standards?

Does it agree that the Italian Ministry(cid:146)s decision is at odds with the policy of promoting the (cid:145)cultural value(cid:146)

2.
of geography which applies in all equivalent education systems in the European Union?

3. Will the Commission ask the Italian Government to annul this alarming decision?

(98/C 187/31)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3802/97

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(26 November 1997)

Subject: Removal of geography from the school curriculum in Italy

The  Italian  Minister  of  Education  has  announced  his  intention  of  removing  geography  from  secondary  and
higher  education  syllabuses.  A  pilot  project  is  already  being  implemented  this  year  in  150  establishments,
heralding the removal of the subject from the two-year cycles of study, following its stealthy disappearance, in
recent years, from the timetable for some technical-vocational courses.