Depopulation spreads across all components of society, and so on Sannio comes second nationally for the percentage of “small primary schools”, which reaches 77% of the total. But the nursery school numbers say that something could change. These are two of the main data that emerge from the «Atlas of Small Schools in Italy», investigation carried out by the Indire Institute in collaboration with col Ministry of Education.
Single-section nursery schools, a primary school with fewer than 125 students and a middle school with fewer than 75 students are considered “small”. Applying this criterion, 11,627 schools in Italy are considered “small”: 2,504 nursery schools, 7,435 primary schools and 1,688 lower secondary schools. In the context of the primaries, which represent the numerically most significant group, throughout the province of Benevento there are 82 out of a total of 106, 77% in percentage: this is the second national figure after Vibo Valentia, which stands at 82%. Completing the podium are placed, on equal merit, Power And Cosenzawith a percentage of 75%.
The national figure, however, stops at 50.6%. There are 4,998 Samnite pupils in small primary schools out of a total of 9,785: 51% as a percentage. As regards the other provinces of Campania, in Irpinia there are 108 out of 167 (64.6%), while a Salerno there are 247 out of 403 (61%), a Caserta 133 out of 253 (52.5%) ea Naples 185 out of 655 (28.2%).
A data, that of primary school, substantially confirmed also in lower secondary school. In this case the Samnite schools involved are 35 out of 85, equal to 41%: much higher than the national figure, which stops at 14.5%, but beaten in Campania by Avellino, where there are 62 small schools in this range out of 123, thus reaching 50%. In terms of students, 1,614 out of 6,739 are involved, with a percentage that reaches 24%.
Where the numbers suggest a possible change of direction is in nursery school: here there are 23 schools in the province of Benevento out of a total of 112, with a percentage of 20% which is in line with the national figure but is also penultimate in Campania, where Avellino and Salerno excel, in both cases with a percentage of 27%. In this case, the Samnite pupils involved are 377 out of a total of 4,924, with a percentage that stands at 7.6%.
This is a sign that single sections in childhood are infrequent, with numbers that suggest a repercussion in primary and secondary schools in a few years’ time as well. It is a work of great importance for understanding the territory, the one carried out by researchers Rudi Bartolini, Chiara Zanoccoli and Giuseppina Rita Jose Mangione. Small schools represent an important part of the Italian school system and are called upon to guarantee quality education in the most fragile areas of the country.
In the first part of the investigation, the population of small schools is identified, its characteristics are described and its distribution across the territory is mapped. In the second part, the peculiarities of the territories where the small schools are located are investigated through three categories of analysis (isolation, peripherality and marginality), leading to the identification of three territorial clusters with homogeneous characteristics.
The Atlas could therefore be a valid tool to support appropriate decision making processes and to set up alliances between school and territory in an expanded dialogue. A path that has already been started with the national network of small schools, which includes 23 groups of five Samnite municipalities (with six multi-class schools within them): Cerreto Sannita, Cusano Mutri, Pietrelcina, Tocco Caudio and Sant’Agata de’ Goths.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Read the full article at
The morning
