The FLC CGIL union has expressed grave concerns regarding upcoming ministerial decrees that could affect the educational landscape for students with disabilities in Italy. The decrees pertain to "Specialization courses for teaching support activities for students with disabilities," as outlined in Article 7 of the decree-law dated May 31, 2024, which was modified by law on July 29, 2024. These courses are designed for teachers holding foreign qualifications who wish to obtain recognition without pursuing legal acknowledgment of their degrees.
The organization directly addressed this issue in a letter to the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, and the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini. They raised alarms about the implications these decrees could have both on the recognition of teachers' qualifications and the overall standard of the educational system in Italy. The courses arranged by Indire, the National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research, are intended for teachers willing to give up any legal claims for recognition of their foreign qualifications.
Each course is structured with online training and discounted credit acquisition. However, FLC CGIL cautioned that this approach may lead to the decline in educational quality, particularly affecting vulnerable students. They fear that inadequately vetted foreign qualifications could flood the system, potentially displacing qualified local educators who have completed rigorous training.
"The admission of individuals into these new courses, who might have fallen into this criminal network, not only penalizes teachers with officially recognized qualifications but also jeopardizes the education system's credibility," the letter stated. FLC CGIL has demanded a suspension of the courses in the decree until clarity on foreign qualifications can be substantiated and confirmed.
Moreover, the Superior Council of Public Education (CSPI) has also weighed in on the situation, issuing two separate opinions regarding the drafts of the ministerial decrees. One opinion expressed conditional support for courses that would train local educators while the other criticized the approach toward foreign specialists seeking recognition.
The CSPI stipulates that teachers wishing to enroll in these support courses must have successfully completed an accredited training program of at least 1,500 hours at an EU-based institution, ideally providing at least 60 university credits (CFU). Given the complexity and the often inconsistent legal outcomes surrounding the recognition of foreign qualifications, the CSPI has voiced its concerns about the reliability of the proposed system. They highlighted substantial discrepancies between courses offered by universities and Indire.
An essential element of the critique is that the decree's structure risks simplifying the certification process for those holding unrecognized foreign qualifications. This could undermine the rigor associated with the courses required for local training and diminish the education sector's overall integrity.
On another critical note, educators and students engaged in TFA (Training Active Internship) programs have organized protests against these new measures. A group spearheading the IX cycle TFA for support at the University of Bologna expressed strong opposition to the decrees, fearing the potential transformation of educational institutions into “businesses” reliant on parental approval for educators’ tenure.
These teaching trainees raised alarms regarding the implications of families having the power to confirm or revoke their children’s teaching assistants. "This mechanism would impair teaching freedom and create unacceptable disparities between classroom teachers and support teachers," they argued.
As the protests developed, numerous calls for action have ridiculed the suggestion that support teachers’ tenure could hinge on parent satisfaction. The protest group finds it vital to advocate against a system that they believe penalizes professional integrity and duty to provide comprehensive education for all students.
A flash mob is scheduled for March 22, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Piazza Verdi, Bologna, coinciding with similar protests at universities in Turin and nationwide. It aims to draw attention to these contentious issues with the hope that policymakers will reconsider the harsh approaches contained within the proposed frameworks.
These developments mark a crucial point in renegotiating Italy's special education framework, emphasizing not only the necessity for clarity around teachers’ qualifications but also the importance of groundwork towards quality education for students with disabilities. As the landscape continues to evolve, stakeholders are eagerly anticipating how these deliberations will unfold in the wake of mounting public scrutiny.
