Results of the questionnaire about E.M.U. in Einstein’s Lyceum.

The questionnaire has been given to 37 students of 17 or 18 years of age:

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	9	10	19
18 years:	12	6	18
total:	21	16	37

Every student has been able to answer correctly the first question (“What is E.M.U.?”), writing that it is the European Monetary Union, and the second one (“What will be the name of the common currency?”), writing EURO (someone also added “ECU”);

3: “What do you think about your country joining E.M.U.? - a) I agree b) I disagree c) I haven’t an opinion”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:9 b:0 c:0	a:10 b:0 c:0	a:19 b:0 c:0
18 years:	a:10 b:2 c:0	a:3 b:0 c:3	a:13 b:2 c:3
total:	a:19 b:2 c:0	a:13 b:0 c:3	a:32 b:2 c:3

The problem of Italian admission in the E.M.U. has caused lots of discussion in our country. In fact, Italians had to pay an extra tax, the hated “European Tax”, in order to fix the budget of the State and be accepted in the Union; this tax irritated the people a lot, and sometimes made Italians hostile to the new currency.

Nevertheless, reading these answers, you wouldn’t imagine that; 86% of students agree about Italian admission in E.M.U. (because students do not pay taxes?)

Anyway, all male students have a precise idea about the matter; 18% of the girls instead do not.

4: “In the year 2002 your country and 10 other European countries will have the same currency. Do you think that is... - a) Positive b) Negative c) It doesn’t matter”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:8 b:1 c:0	a:10 b:0 c:0	a:18 b:1 c:0
18 years:	a:11 b:1 c:0	a:6 b:0 c:0	a:17 b:1 c:0
total:	a:19 b:2 c:0	a:16 b:0 c:0	a:35 b:2 c:0

The students like the new currency: 94% of them wrote that EURO is a positive thing.

5: “When E.M.U. comes the influence of my country of Europe? - a) Will increase b) Will decrease c) Will stay the same”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:4 b:0 c:5	a:6 b:0 c:4	a:10 b:0 c:9
18 years:	a:6 b:2 c:4	a:3 b:0 c:3	a:9 b:2 c:7
total:	a:10 b:2 c:9	a:9 b:0 c:7	a:19 b:2 c:16

Italy is a big and populated country, but by now it hasn’t a great influence among the other European states. Many people fear that E.M.U. will make Italy an economic “slave” of France and Germany.

Anyway, 51% of the students hope that Italian influence will increase.

It’s interesting that 43% of the students think that nothing will change: this reflects a diffuse “scepticism” about EURO in Italy (but in all Europe too).

6: “Which of the following countries belong to E.M.U.? - a) Finland b) Netherlands c) Italy”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:8 b:6 c:8	a:8 b:4 c:7	a:16 b:10 c:15
18 years:	a:11 b:10 c:10	a:6 b:1 c:6	a:17 b:11 c:16
total:	a:19 b:16 c:18	a:14 b:5 c:13	a:33 b:21 c:31

Many students have forgotten the Netherlands.

7: “Where have you got information of E.M.U.? - a) Newspapers b) School c) TV or radio d) Home”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:9 b:1 c:8 d:2	a:6 b:0 c:10 d:2	a:15 b:1 c:18 d:4
18 years:	a:12 b:0 c:12 d:3	a:6 b:0 c:6 d:0	a:18 b:0 c:18 d:3
total:	a:21 b:1 c:20 d:5	a:12 b:0 c:16 d:2	a:33 b:1 c:36 d:7

Most of the students got information about E.M.U. from newspapers (89%) and TV or radio (98%). It’s sad that just one spoke about school; in fact, Italian school doesn’t care much about the important events of our time, including E.M.U..

8: “Who benefit from E.M.U:? - a) Big companies only b) All citizens in my country c) Nobody”

Age	boys	girls	total:
17 years:	a:1 b:8 c:0	a:6 b:4 c:0	a:7 b:12 c:0
18 years:	a:3 b:6 c:3	a:5 b:1 c:0	a:8 b:7 c:3
total:	a:4 b:14 c:3	a:11 b:5 c:0	a:15 b:19 c:3

Who benefit from EURO? This is a crucial question. Many students (40%) think that only big companies will get advantages. Anyway, the majority of the students (51%) hope that EURO will make every citizen content. There’s a significant gap between boys and girls about this question: 78% of girls think that only big companies will earn from EURO, while just 12% of boys do.

9: “What is positive about E.M.U.?” (A list of most common or interesting answers is given)

· Travelling in Europe will be easier and cheaper as you won’t have to change money (20 students)

· Trade among European countries will be easier and quicker (7 students)

· European economy will be stronger, and EURO will be as worth as U.S.A. Dollar (4 students)

· “Nothing” (3 students)

· European peoples will strengthen their friendship (2 students)

10: “What is negative about E.M.U.?”

· The passage from today’s currency to EURO will cause some troubles (13 students)

· ”Everything” (3 students, the ones who answered “nothing” to the previous question)

· Some countries (as Germany and France) could overcome the others (2 students)

· Probable raise of the cost of life (2 students)

Tables and Graphs by Paolo Massioni
Comments by Paolo Massioni and Alessandro Lazaric