"The culture of the places, people and the physical, biological and nature has always been the cultural foundation of every civilisation".

It has been a major mistake to remove geography from school and university education in Italy. The teaching of physical and human geography must be returned to school studies, as they deal with complex issues facing Italy, for instance water, hazards, pollution, climate and migration. It is especially important that the use of geo-information and geo-technology is included in a modern school curriculum. I thus ask the Minister of Education to respond by putting the study of geography firmly back into our primary, secondary and technical schools.

On 5 May 2011 (Annex B session no. 472, All'Interrogazione 4-05941 filed by
Domenico Scilipoti) a reply was submitted to the parliamentary question by the then Minister Gelmini. This said:

"On the authority of the Presidency of the Council, I answer the question regarding the reduction in the teaching of geography as a result of the reorganization of secondary schools Grade II.
Preliminarily, we note that in the Official Journal. 137 of 15 June 2010, ordinary supplement no. 128L, were published three regulations implementing the reform of the upper secondary school level. According to the pictures attached to the same time, the teaching of geography is included in all joints of the new high schools, with a load time that varies according to the peculiarities field of study.
In technical schools such teaching is provided in the first two years of the economic sector and, in particular, in the last three years address tourism, where he finds a specific connotation (geography of tourism).
Notice is also given that the Ministry on June 14, 2010 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Italian Geographic Society, which operates in the field of geographical sciences to work in several directions, such as to promote and monitor, in close connection with educational institutions, research-action process through curriculum regulated directions.
In any case, educational institutions, their autonomy will enable the teaching based on the training plan (so-called POF) within the limits of the contingent of staff assigned school setting, as described in Annex H to the regulation of schools."
The Minister for Education, University and Research: Mariastella Gelmini.

Despite this response, geographical studies have become marginalised in the Italian education system, in fact they have almost disappeared completely. We therefore ask that this matter should be urgently investigated by the Minister. The importance of geographical studies should be reviewed and the curriculum changed to reflect the real needs of Italian society in Europe and the world, which is to include strong, modern and innovative geography courses in schools and universities.

I ask you therefore to take this into account, to consult more widely with stakeholders and experts and make a well-informed and clearly justified decisions for the future education of our young people. We believe these will be in favour of significantly extending geographical studies across the different types of school, as is planned in the 2014 curriculum reforms taking place in Finland along with the introduction of opportunities for geo-technology studies (connected with ICT developments) for all students.