The 50th national conference of the Federation of Christian-inspired nursery schools attended by around half a million children will take place on 18 May in Rome. President Redaelli: “We want to reiterate the primacy of education and ask the Government to achieve full equality”. The transition to the third sector has begun, many schools already registered in the single register with the support of the Fism. And on differentiated autonomy: “It presupposes the resolution of the issue of the essential levels of performance (Lep) also in matters of education and instruction; it seems that a lot of work still needs to be done on this point”
“Let’s set out into the deep” is the slogan chosen by Fism (Federation of Christian-inspired non-profit private nursery schools) for its 50th anniversary of foundation (1974-2024) which will have its highlight with the national conference Children first: yesterday , today and tomorrow, scheduled for May 18th in Rome. Around 1,500 representatives of the associated schools will meet at the Conciliazione Auditorium, a network of around 9 thousand educational entities – nursery schools, spring sections, nursery schools – spread across the entire national territory, attended by around half a million children. and where tens of thousands of employees and as many volunteers work. Sunday 19th mass in the Vatican basilica and the recitation of the Regina Caeli with the Pope in St. Peter’s Square. We interviewed the national president Giampiero Redaelli.
Fism turns 50: what is its balance sheet and what goals have been achieved?
A very positive balance sheet, a strong sense of belonging characterized by the desire to support all Catholic or Christian-inspired nursery schools – then called kindergartens – the only “public” service throughout the national territory until the establishment of state nursery schools, which took place in 1968. Many goals have been achieved, both in the pedagogical and management fields, which have guaranteed a quality service for hundreds of thousands of boys and girls and an indispensable service for their families.
Your national conference opens in Rome on May 18th. What is the objective of the event?
There are two main objectives: the first is certainly to reaffirm the primacy of children’s education; commitment that we carried out yesterday and are redesigning today to project it into the future. We want to “put out to sea”, albeit in a stormy sea such as the current social, political and international situation. We must overcome the “epidemic” of fear, which threatens, spreads everywhere, infects all ages and all environments… but although the threat of fear is a continuous and threatening siege,
we have the task and mission of being sowers of hope.
We owe it to the children and their families. The second objective, no less important, is to ask the Government the
achieving full equal treatment towards families who attend private and state nursery schools.
The chosen date precedes the first World Children’s Day (25-26 May) established by the Pope by exactly one week. A mere coincidence or a sign of continuity and connection between the Global compact on Education launched by the Pontiff and the educational style of the Fism?
The coincidence, unintended, however marks a feeling and a desire reiterated and shared many times, that of
be collaborators of the Global Educational Pact so dear to Pope Francis.
We look with admiration at the testimony of men and women of our time who are a word and example of trust and, first of all, at Pope Francis himself, and we collect his words of encouragement and call to responsibility. We want to have the ability to be able to welcome the cultural and religious diversities and the fragilities of the children of this time, for a confident global education that develops feelings of peace, tolerance, help, respect and forgiveness, indispensable and essential elements for the construction of a beautiful world and a better future.
How did you prepare for the appointment?
Since last September, when we officially launched the 50th anniversary, we have proposed various initiatives to involve schools, the true protagonists of the anniversary: twinning and pedagogical exchanges to strengthen their protagonism and stimulate mutual learning from different territorial experiences. In the panorama of training needs, the theme of listening has increasingly emerged, which focuses attention on parents, children, teachers as active subjects and participants in the educational process. We also carried out “pedagogical pilgrimages” in their meaning of “walking together in research”, revisiting the fruitfulness of the roots at the foundation of the Fism’s educational commitment. Finally, we proposed that schools create the “capsule of the future” which will collect children’s messages, drawings, objects and memories made with their parents. Only after 10 years will it be reopened and… who knows if the dreams described will have come true.
A session of the works is dedicated to “Church, politics and society”, i.e. interlocution with political and ecclesial institutions. Despite some economic aid allocated in the latest Budget Law, real and full educational equality, 25 years after the law, is still far away. What does the Fism ask of politics, Church and society?
I believe that the “trial period” to which the nursery schools associated with Fism, all non-profit and mostly over one hundred years old, were subjected, can be considered definitively concluded, with the full recognition of their public educational and social service sanctioned by the Law 62/2000. The widespread continuation of services in the area also constitutes support for birth rates, parenthood and female employment. We feel like a living part of the Church, we ask all the dioceses to support nursery schools, as the first educational, social and cultural support from which to start again to announce that, despite everything, life is worth living, and lived fully.
Runts has become operational since 2021. How important is belonging to the Third Sector and at what stage is the registration of your schools in the single register?
When I read the first article of the legislative decree on the Third Sector Code: “In order to support the autonomous initiative of citizens who contribute, even in associated form, to pursuing the common good, to raising the levels of active citizenship, cohesion and social protection, encouraging participation, inclusion and full development of the person, to enhance the potential for growth and employment…”, I said to myself: they have finally sewn a tailor-made dress for our schools and obviously not just for those. There are still some issues to be resolved at a legislative level, but we are working on them. Even the meeting in the Senate with Deputy Minister Leo, last January 17, allowed for a fundamental discussion to overcome these obstacles. Despite this, several hundred schools have already signed up to Runts.
As regards differentiated autonomy, what could it mean for schools, in particular for private ones??
Differentiated autonomy presupposes the resolution of the issue of essential levels of performance (Lep) also in matters of education and instruction; It seems that a lot of work still needs to be done on this point. However, we are following the progress of parliamentary work.
To conclude: “Let’s set sail” is the slogan of the 50th. What new projects and challenges?
Yes. Let’s really set out into the deep… with trust and responsibility towards all the managers and educational communities of the 9 thousand entities that refer to the Fism. The real challenge remains the educational one and for this objective we will invest considerable energy so that each school can have indispensable tools, “tools of the trade”, to build an exciting, engaging educational path aimed at being a safe support for the family. Also for this reason, Fism is equipping itself with operational tools, such as the establishment of a Fism Servizi which supports the management aspect of schools. In June the Federation will assume by statute the role of a network of Third Sector bodies to ensure that those who have or have chosen to join the Runts have maximum assistance and support. Finally, there are other proposals in the pipeline that will be approved by the next Congress which will take place in June.
