3/18/2010 by Sav D'Souza United Kingdom
A discriminative or justified policy?Italy’s Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini has provoked a debate at plans to impose caps on the amount of foreign students in Italian classes.Under the new guidelines, which will come into effect in September this year, schools in Italy will be able to limit the amount of foreigners in classes to 30 per cent. Gelmini says that the guidelines are there to prevent ‘ghetto classes’, which are classes which mainly consist of foreign students, and to foster integration between Italians and foreigners. The guidelines have caused much debate with some people thinking it is largely a good policy and some seeing it as discriminative and unjust. On a purely legal standpoint it must be remembered that the guidelines are just that guidelines and not enshrined in law. The guidelines are the result of consultation and deliberation on the issue of integration in schools. Currently Italian schools have a level of autonomy in the way they are run but this is the Government imposing some guidelines.I think that the guidelines are a step in the right direction in terms of ensuring greater integration between Italians and foreigners which is much needed for Italy to progress to being a more tolerant, inclusive and truly multi cultural society. You have to remember that two years ago the right wing Northern League party was seriously proposing classes exclusively for immigrants. Having large classes of largely foreign pupils does not help children integrate and get used to people from different nationalities and schools can play a vital part in the process. Italian and foreign children may have little opportunity to integrate sometimes outside of school and so this a good opportunity to give them exposure at a young age.Of course the guidelines do pose some questions. The 30 per cent cap does seem a little arbitrary. Why 30 and not 50 per cent which would seem more logical and fairer? Also the guidelines allow for exceptions to be made for children born in Italy but who do not have Italian citizenship but what about the rest, the foreign children who speak Italian well? Also what will happen if there is an area which maybe has only one school nearby and has a high percentage of foreign children attending it, will the foreign students have to travel a long distance to another school if guidelines are enforced? Well, hopefully Italian schools will use their discretion with such children and not strictly adhere to quotas in such circumstances. As the Italian Bishops Council spokesperson for immigration said the plans are ‘ambivalent’.Any debate focusing on schools is a complex one. Parents rightly want what they think will ultimately be better for their children. Some Italian parents are concerned that if their child goes to a school where they are in classes where a high percentage do not speak Italian well their children will suffer as a result. There has been no actual evidence put forward that supports this argument and surely kids at a young age pick up things like language fast. But in many ways the Government’s guidelines go a way to appeasing Italian families that their children will not suffer and will now give parents a right to criticise a school for having large classes of foreigners and demand action. Are you parent or have a view on the guidelines?
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NEWS
3/18/2010
3/18/2010
