The public finances are gasping, the international situation is critical: so for the electoral campaign in view of the European elections the centre-right closes itself within the reassuring perimeter of its idea of society. In Emilia Romagna the government appeals to the TAR against the resolution on the end of life wanted by the governor Stefano Bonaccini to overcome the legislative inertia after the ruling of the Council which in 2019 set the limits for access to assisted suicide. While in Tuscany, in the wake of the Pioltello case, the League attacks school autonomy and presents an urgent question to the governor Eugenio Giani on the possibility of closing schools on the occasion of the holidays of other religions with the prospect of numerous absences. Together with the rule on the entry of pro-life associations into the clinics that FdI is pursuing in Parliament, a trident is emerging – abortion, end of life, immigration – which the right will insist on in the next two months until the vote.
In Tuscany the conflict broke out between the councilor for Education and Equal Opportunities Alessandra Nardini – Pd share, 15 thousand preferences in the last Regional elections which made her the second most voted among the candidates – and the Northern League MEP Susanna Ceccardi – pupil of Matteo Salvini, former mayor of Cascina and Giani’s defeated challenger. Between the two, both thirty-year-olds from Pisa, the political disagreement is long-standing, and the battleground has often been that of rights. Ceccardi opposes “false multiculturalism” and the proliferation of mosques, Nardini supported the green light for the Islamic place of worship in Pisa.
Now the last chapter, which is enriched with a “mystery” on the disclosure of a confidential document. The facts: the education councilor prepares the letter with the guidelines on the 2024/25 school calendar and sends them – as per practice – to the regional school office (the Tuscan “administration” of Giuseppe Valditara’s ministry) for communication to the principals. Among the various indications – holidays, make-ups, etc. – there is this: “Within their autonomy, individual schools can, as usual, provide for additional and optional days of suspension of activities, for example on the occasion of other holidays religions not included in the mandatory closures which could lead to a foreseeable high rate of absences”.
But even before the circular is issued to schools, Ceccardi publicly attacks: “The Democratic Party is bowing to Islamization and Nardini, no stranger to these initiatives, shows herself to be among the most fervent supporters of the anti-Italian drift. It is a blind ideological stance like in Pioltello for the end of Ramadan.” The League refers to Valditara’s intention to prohibit the closure of schools during holidays not recognized by the State, and in the meantime extends the attack to the entire council. Marco Landi, opposition spokesperson in the regional council, calls Giani for a question time by Tuesday 23 April. Objective: to find out if he agrees with the indication. From the Democratic Party they consider the leak of information to be “very serious”, but above all the damage to school autonomy: “They are obsessed – says the regional secretary Emiliano Fossi – it was enough to mention the holidays of other religions to trigger the phobia of the right-wing parties”. Nardini speaks of “vulgar propaganda” and nothing new: “The letter I signed does not change one iota what the schools could and can already do. Incredible that for days we have been discussing Pioltello where the school was closed due to the many absences and not for religious reasons”. Solidarity from the CGIL Toscana: “From the instrumental and partisan polemical League, the councilor reiterated from the perspective of a public, secular and inclusive institution the right and duty of the school to autonomously choose some days of closure”.
Antonello Giannelli, head of the National Association of Principals, intervenes on the topic and invites us not to politicize a technical issue: “This type of letter is part of the normal management that schools have followed for over twenty years – he explains to HuffPost – Autonomy is the basis of the current system is stated in article 117 of the Constitution, the Consolidated Law on schools and regulation 275/99. Then, within it, there is the specific competence of the individual institute to adapt the calendar to the educational needs of its users”. Just like in Pioltello: “The end of Ramadan caused a sensation there, but it often happens because of bridges. If I know that my students go out I add a day of vacation, otherwise I don’t close. Every manager knows his basin.”
In the Pisa area there are classes where the presence of Islamic students reaches 60-70%, and in the various Tuscan provinces it can exceed 30-40%. Furthermore, as a recent investigation by “Repubblica” has shown, several Regions have already issued next year’s calendar, leaving discretion to the institutions on how to behave (also) for non-Catholic religious holidays. It happens in Renato Schifani’s Sicily, in Luca Zaia’s Veneto (who has more progressive positions on rights than his party leader), in Attilio Fontana’s Lombardy. All decisions at risk of conflict with the new regulation that sources from the Ministry of Education say are nearing completion. Giannelli discusses present and future controversies: “These are pre-election skirmishes that I have seen done over the years by any government and opposition. When a vote approaches, the temperature of declarations rises.” In short, in the electoral campaign everything is mixed, then we’ll see.
Tags: Tuscany Pioltello Clash proRamadan guidelines
