Most 16-year-olds have problems in putting forward arguments and substantiating their point of view in school essays, indicating they have communication problems, according to the results of a study made public yesterday.

The Education Research Center said that 73 percent of teenagers fail to show logical sequence in their school essays, which often contain contradictions, illogical associations and irrelevant facts.

One example cited following the survey is that of students trying to make a point throughout the essay, only to conclude with another point, which goes completely against the grain of the essay’s central theme.

The problem, researchers argue, is connected with the failure of the school system to adequately prepare students. The curriculum is often inappropriate, they add, and ultimately much more is demanded of students than they have actually been taught.

The survey collected data on 884 students from 30 secondary schools around Greece.