{"id":109385,"date":"2026-09-11T08:52:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T07:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fondazionepirelli.org\/?p=109385"},"modified":"2026-09-15T09:01:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T08:01:58","slug":"its-back-to-school-time-and-we-should-reread-good-books-to-avoid-educational-and-civic-deprivation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fondazionepirelli.org\/en\/corporate-culture\/blog\/its-back-to-school-time-and-we-should-reread-good-books-to-avoid-educational-and-civic-deprivation\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s back to school time. And we should reread good books to avoid educational and civic deprivation"},"content":{"rendered":"

School? \u2018A daily devotion to tomorrow.\u2019 In other words, a commitment to a better future. An exemplary summary of the responsibility borne by those tasked with educating the younger generations, not only in the humanities and sciences, but above all in the interplay between the rights and duties of being a cives<\/em>, responsible citizens and members of a community. The quote is by Piero Calamandrei<\/strong>, one of the leading legal scholars of the twentieth century and an influential member of the Constituent Assembly.\u00a0 It appears at the end of the short but substantial book, \u2018Per la scuola\u2019 (For school), which brings together three essays on the subject of school education, written in the immediate post-war years, at a time when Italy was rife with political, social and civil tensions surrounding reconstruction and economic recovery. This was an Italy which, having emerged from the dark days of fascism, was learning to become not only a fully-fledged democracy but also an economic and industrial power.<\/p>\n

Published by Sellerio in 2008, \u2018Per la scuola\u2019<\/strong> is back on the shelves right now in an expanded edition featuring an introduction by Tullio De Mauro, a historical and bibliographical note by Silvia Calamandrei, and an afterword by Franco Lorenzoni on \u2018Le metafore di Piero Calamandrei\u2019 (The Metaphors of Piero Calamandre). This is therefore a book that is more useful than ever to pick up (or pick up again), particularly at this time of year when eight million children are returning to school or starting school for the first time (just under a million are non-Italian nationals, and it is precisely school that is the main channel for their integration) and, as happens every year, the litany of unresolved problems is repeated, ranging from the shortcomings of school infrastructure to the shortages of teaching staff (who are consistently paid less than their European counterparts), from the curriculum to the relationship with an increasingly controversial, fast-paced and transformative contemporary world.<\/p>\n

The government has taken action. And the Minister for Education and Merit<\/strong>, Giuseppe Valditara<\/strong>, has launched a thorough review of the curricula.\u00a0 A commendable, and naturally ambitious, undertaking.\u00a0 One to be watched very closely.<\/p>\n

It would therefore be useful, not only for teachers but also for parents and, why not? for business leaders, trade unionists and cultural figures, to revisit the Constitution and some of the works by educators and writers who have spoken with expertise and a love of culture about schooling (Rodari, Rossi Doria, Manzi, De Mauro, Starnone and many others besides). Calamandrei, indeed. But also the \u2018Racconti di scuola\u2019<\/strong> (Tales of school), edited by Christian Raimo<\/strong> and recently published by Einaudi (Boll, Cort\u00e1zar, De Luca, Lispector, Serao, Celati, Chekhov, Lodoli, etc.).<\/p>\n

We are, in fact, living in complicated, controversial and dramatic times. Times of unprecedented tensions and problems. The spread of AI, whilst extremely useful for production and certain areas of medical and scientific research, complicates matters whenever it clashes with issues of ethics, creativity and the creator\u2019s responsibility. It is therefore worth ensuring that schools, too, play a leading role in fostering critical thinking, capable of addressing the issues we are discussing. It is a pity that Rai has, just recently, closed down the programmes on Rai Scuola, an essential channel for high-quality education.<\/p>\n

More generally, how is the Italian school system<\/strong> faring? One positive point: children at primary school are doing well. They are good at reading and understand what is being taught. Better than their German, French and Spanish peers. However, as they progress through their studies, things take a turn for the worse.\u00a0 This culminates in a dramatic situation: one in two pupils reaches the end of secondary school without having the basic skills in Italian, maths and English.<\/p>\n

To put it simply: as they grow up, they unlearn. This leads to the paradox that \u2018reverse illiteracy\u2019<\/strong> (combined with functional illiteracy \u2013 that is, the inability to use basic skills \u2013 reading, writing and arithmetic \u2013 effectively to function independently in contemporary society) stands at 47%<\/strong>: almost one in two Italians.<\/p>\n

Here it is: a snapshot of the crisis in education and, consequently, of informed citizenship and democratic participation, of economic development and social responsibility. A snapshot of the profound crisis facing Italy. Evidence of the serious risks of educational and civic deprivation.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the figures. According to a recent IEA PIRLS survey<\/strong>, coordinated by Boston College<\/strong>, 97% of nine-year-old Italian children can read a text correctly and understand its meaning. The survey was carried out in 57 countries worldwide, involving 400,000 pupils, 380,000 parents and 20,000 teachers. The top-performing countries are, in order, Singapore (573 points), Hong Kong, Great Britain, Denmark and Norway. Next comes Italy, with a score of 537, higher than that of children in Germany (524), Spain (521), France (514) and so on. The EU average is 527.<\/p>\n

In short, this is a good result for Italian children. And in Italy, too, it is girls who contribute most to keeping the average high, with a seven-point difference compared to boys (a figure worth reflecting on, by continuing to encourage these aptitudes as pupils progress through their studies, with a particular focus on STEM subjects<\/strong>, the scientific disciplines, in which girls find themselves at a disadvantage, due to the unfortunate legacy of neglect and prejudice against them; and, if anything, by complementing these with the \u2018A\u2019 for arts, that is, knowledge of the humanities).<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the point. Just as the new school year begins, it must be made clear that the functioning of the education system and its educational effectiveness are political priorities, issues upon which to build an ambitious, forward-looking government programme and towards which to direct public spending and the necessary investments (in tangible and intangible infrastructure). It is a matter of culture. But also of economic development. Of civic consciousness and, indeed, of democracy. As Calamandrei so aptly argued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

School? \u2018A daily devotion to tomorrow.\u2019 In other words, a commitment to a better future. An exemplary summary of the responsibility borne by those tasked with educating the younger generations, not only in the humanities and sciences, but above all in the interplay between the rights and duties of being a cives, responsible citizens and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-corporate-culture"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIt\u2019s back to school time. 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