From high school of made in Italy to less years of study: the parties' proposals on school
From high school of made in Italy to less years of study
The school of tomorrow finds a lot of space in almost all the programs of the parties and alliances that will compete in the elections on September 25th. If for the right and for the electoral cartel of Matteo Renzi and Carlo Calenda the fixed points are forms of indirect support for private schools and training courses that create more work arms than brains, the Democratic Party focuses on increasing the salaries of teachers and free and compulsory kindergarten. A little everyone wants to change the school cycles to end the training course one year in advance. The League proposes a disturbing monitoring against what is now one of the obsessions of Salvini's party: the "gender theory".Let's see in detail what the parties are proposing:
+ Europe Coalition of center-right Brothers of Italy Forza Italia Italexit Italia Viva - Action Lega Movimento 5 Stelle Democratic Party Possible People's Union Green Europe - Italian Left On civil rights, party programs are at opposite poles Equalitarian marriage and Zan ddl for center-left parties. No from the center right. The interventions in favor of people with disabilities are instead more shared, even if in some cases not very specific + Europe The first important fact that stands out in the + Europe program is a net increase in public spending in favor of training, research that would go from current 0.5% to 1.5% of GDP. To make young Italians more competitive, Emma Bonino's party proposes to redistribute the total training days in order to lower the overall years of study, which would go from 13 to 12 to allow Italian students to access universities already at 18. , as happens in much of Europe.
A well-articulated point is the continuous and structured orientation offered to young people, an important tool for channeling their talents and skills and capable of acting as a bridge between school and the world of work, also involving the companies themselves. Furthermore, in line with the European labor market, + Europa proposes the integration of the European certification system and the skills acquired in order to be able to spend them in all Eurozone countries.
Center-right coalition The Framework agreement of the center-right provides for the elimination of precariousness, a building push thanks to the funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr) and an enhancement of technical and professionalizing professions: a school that trains workers rather than thinkers and innovators.
Fratelli d'Italia Fratelli d'Italia also foresees a reshaping of the school years in order to be able to finish the cycle of studies at the age of 18 and be able to enter the world of work as soon as possible. The latter is seen as a market for professions and trades necessary for the community and instrumental to the "Italian System", even providing for the establishment of a new high school: the high school of Made in Italy.
Giorgia Meloni aims everything on sport and extracurricular activities (the sport that according to the communicators of his party should correct "deviations" such as anorexia and obesity ...), which must be strengthened and accessible to all. What is not specified is with what money they must be paid, since there is no increase in public spending. In line with the whole center-right and with Italia viva-Action, the substantial protection of peer schools is confirmed, for which there are vouchers that can be spent by families in the various school structures.
Forza Italia The Forza Italia program provides a massive building intervention to be implemented thanks to funds from the PNRR, but also works to purify the air and a wireless microphone system for deaf or hearing-impaired students. A substantial change is expected in the way of teaching: the classic figure of the teacher will turn towards a coaching and tutoring service. This is the idea that Silvio Berlusconi's party has of the teaching of tomorrow. As with the Brothers of Italy, the recognition of the freedom of choice of families is supported through the school voucher for equal schools. To mitigate a markedly corporate position, the program foresees the institution of the school psychologist starting from primary school and even one hour of emotional education curricular.
Italexit Italexit has a "wide and varied" program: in a few lines present dozens of relevant topics while not highlighting any implementation tool and leaving the deepening of each issue until after the elections. But they are certain of one thing: they do not want dangerous and confusing "gender theories" in schools.
Italia viva-Action Also for Italia viva-Action the age of completion of the cycle of studies must be raised to 18 years parallel to a clear action to contrast school dropout. As with Forza Italia and the Brothers of Italy, also for the ticket between Matteo Renzi and Carlo Calenda there must be freedom of educational choice between state and equal schools. Much importance is given to the concept of skills mismatch: the difference that is created between the preparation of pupils and the demands of the world of work.
The proposed solution is to offer citizens' income earners the opportunity to participate in higher education schools. Another point of the program is the enhancement of civic education and greater attention to pupils with special educational needs. The integration of the figure of the school psychologist is not envisaged, but rather it is proposed to enhance the skills of teachers in managing pupils with different cognitive styles or educational needs.
How compulsory schooling works in Italy and in Europe The proposal of the secretary of the Democratic Party Enrico Letta to extend the compulsory schooling in Italy from 3 to 18 years has raised some controversy. Let's see what the situation is in Europe Lega In line with the center-right parties, also for the Lega an important point is the total parity between private and state schools. However, this is accompanied by an essential and intense work of monitoring school activities to counter what is called "ideological colonization" and the spread of the so-called "gender theory" (the part of the program that deals with these issues seems to have been written by Senator Simone Pillon in person). | The program does not mention an increase in public spending on education except to enhance the spread of the Italian language in the world. The passage in which, according to the Northern League program, this diffusion can facilitate commercial relations is very unclear.
Movimento 5 Stelle In terms of school, the Movimento 5 Stelle program is probably the most complex of all. Contrary to the right-wing coalition and Italia viva-Action, the pentastellati strongly highlight how the parity between equal schools and state schools does nothing but steal public funds from students. The only exception is granted to infant-toddler centers and private schools where they constitute the only possibility in the area. Also opposed to "performance evaluation" through the so-called Invalsi tests, which would increase the competitiveness between schools and pupils without promoting a culture of knowledge. The "Good school" of Renzian memory, is replaced with the concept of "well-being at school", a study support program that would make use of psychologists and pedagogists. Even in the program of Giuseppe Conte's party, as in that of the Democratic Party, there is talk of salary adjustment for Italian teachers, to be aligned with European standards.
Democratic party The Democratic Party introduces concepts of stability with an international scope and aimed at closing the economic gap between families. However, there is no mention of how these concepts pass from concept to design. The reform (yet another ...) of internships is envisaged, which can be free only if carried out within 12 months of completing the cycle of studies, in order to eradicate the scourge of "unpaid work masked by experience".
Among the most significant proposals of the party led by Enrico Letta, those to allocate 10 billion euros to increase teachers' salaries by aligning them with European standards, incentives for sustainable school construction, books, canteens and transport free public for students with medium and low incomes and above all free and compulsory kindergarten. The Democratic Party is also the only party to emphasize the need to close the gender gap in the choices of the so-called Stem subjects (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by girls.
Possible Probably the more visionary program on the theme of the school puts it in the field Possible. Through what they call "Greta's school" they are the only political force to include issues such as environmental education and energy-independent school buildings. The party founded by Giuseppe Civati proposes a less bureaucratized and more integrated vision even when it refers to "physical, psychological and social well-being" including not only the pupils, but "the entire educating community". They are also the only party to directly address the problem of distance learning: although they do not fully complete the executive mode, they outline some of the key concepts. Possible is also the only political force to reaffirm the secular nature of the school system.
Popular Union Popular Union has a program in 7 points, clear and dry: here, perhaps a little too dry.
Among the cornerstones of the program we find the abolition of the reform of Renzi's "Buona scuola" and of the Gelmini reform, as well as of the Bianchi reform of the recruitment of teaching staff. It goes without saying that there is also a net closure on school-work alternation. Abolition of chicken coop classes and free books, transport, cinema and theaters up to the age of 18. Basically, the program is all here.
Green Europe - Italian Left The list promoted by Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli, which is presented in coalition with the Democratic Party, focuses heavily on the universal extension of the right to education, from always a fixed point of the left, strengthened by what are defined as "areas of priority and supportive education". The first step that is indicated is to increase the percentage points of GDP dedicated to education to 6 percentage points. In the program we find the maximum limit of fifteen students per class, the extension of compulsory schooling up to 18 years of age and the free education from kindergarten to university (proposed in line with that of the PD). The red-green sign also proposes a modification of the evaluation system, free psychological support in schools and the establishment of sexual and emotional education.
