Italy is confirmed as the beacon of Europe for inclusion policies, a record built up over fifty years of legislative and jurisprudential evolution. However, the goal of full citizenship for every student inevitably passes through an end to the precariousness of the teaching staff. This is what emerged from the speech by Marcello Pacifico, national president Anief, on the sidelines of the national conference celebrating the Falcucci Document held at MIM.
Beyond the walls of the classroom: the right to potential
Pacifico recalled the recent indications of the European Committee of Social Rights, emphasising that inclusion is not a mere bureaucratic fulfilment, but the fundamental right of every individual to develop his or her personality.
«Italy has been able to say a clear no to differentiated classes», recalled the union leader, «but today we have to go one step further: being a true educating community means giving everyone the opportunity to be employed on tenure-track positions».». The reference is to the very high rate of precariousness that afflicts the Italian school system, an obstacle that prevents regulatory good intentions from becoming a daily reality for thousands of students.
Educational continuity as a choral commitment
One of the central points of the Pacific Declaration concerns the very nature of the IEP (Individualised Educational Plan). According to Anief, the pupil's “life project” cannot remain an exclusive delegation to the support teacher, who is often precarious and destined to change every year.
«Educational continuity must involve all the teachers in the class, not just the support teachers.», urged Pacifico. The objective is a choral collaboration to develop the potential of each pupil, regardless of the degree of disability. To do this, however, stability is needed: the continuous rotation of teachers, caused by the abuse of fixed-term contracts, breaks the educational bond necessary for the construction of a life project.
The role as a guarantee of dignity
The appeal launched from the stage of the Ministry is therefore clear: Italy's pioneering legislation must now be translated into a solid organic plan. Only through the recruitment of specialised teachers can that “right of citizenship” evoked by European institutions be guaranteed. For Pacifico, the challenge of modern inclusion is played out on this ground: transforming the school from a system of continuous emergency into a stable social context, capable of welcoming and enhancing each and every fragility.
