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High school students ignorant of their geography

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
High school students ignorant of their geography

High school students in Umeå were unable to name Finland's capital city in a recent survey which showed an alarming ignorance of basic geography.

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Students from Umeå University in the north of Sweden interviewed 200 high school students aged 17-19-years-old on their geography skills.

More than 68 percent responded that they do no know where the European Union has its headquarters, 75 percent could not place Teheran in Iran and 96 percent could not name two Swedish national parks.

"This is the level of knowledge on which they will then make their decisions," said dismayed student Christian Lund to Västerbottens-Kuriren.

Lund wonders how the students will later be able to develop their opinions in democratic and societal issues such as the environment, sustainable development and politics without some basic knowledge of geography.

The results of the study will be sent to schools minister, Jan Björklund.

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