Insegnare non è per tutti.

I am sure you have had a nice holiday even by just staying away from the usual routine. Everybody needs a total refresh and a new start up.

You have just come back on time to fi nd the new changes in school and education system in Italy. It’s high time we had some changes in the old and bureaucratically detered Italian school system. The changes announced by the Minister of Education, Giannini is just about one of the best changes ever proposed for quite a long time from now. This is the fi rst time ever that we have proposal for increase in the funds for schools. We have always had fund-cutting all the time. But as usual, there is always someone who’s not happy and instead of appreciating a productive and good start and change in the status quo they still complain, and one of this is the chair of Italian Principals who is saying that one billion Euros dedicated to the changes is not enough. As if any other government has ever given a penny to schools twenty years back- Even if it is not enough, at least someone has started doing something. What should we say about the fact that others have been cutting till today? And these other governments have always got away with throwing money around in useless and stupid things. So, I should think that our government of today should be appreciated for the idea put into place while we are waiting for it to be carried out. The most interesting part of the whole idea and the whole change from my own point of view, being a teacher as well, is the constant updating and training of teachers. First of all, fi nally the Italian government has fi nally decided to follow the path of the Anglo-Saxon countries in terms of teachers training. The future teachers will need to have their second degree plus a year teachers’ training and another year of on-hand training in the classroom before becoming a professional teacher. Alleluya! We can now say goodbye to the former system whereby provided you have a degree, you can just go into any classroom and teach any subject just because it is one of the subjects in your university curricula. Italian teachers are not encouraged to update themselves didactically nor are the dutiful ones appreciated for their efforts in bringing new ideas and methods to the school teaching system. Robin Williams may fi nally be smiling in his tomb now that his part as a ‘‘different’’ type of teacher in what I consider the best of his fi lms; Dead Poets Society seem to be appreciated in a great nation such as Italy. And then there is the sensitivity of the government towards the needy ones. The handicapped students will now be having a ratio of 1 to 2 teacherstudents instead of the higher dozen like ratio we have today. Despite our advanced knowledge of science, the number of children with AD/HD (Attention-Defi cit/ Hyperactivity Disorder) is on the rise. And these students need special and well trained teachers to make them comfortable thus turning what some defi ne as an handicap into a productive and creative aptitude. By the way, let me spend some words on the discrimination amongst teachers on the ‘‘insegnante di sostegno’’ which is probably one of the most noble aspect of teaching itself. My hat off to these teachers. And do let me say more, since the government is pledging increase in salary, I should think the teachers of needy ones – insegante di sostegno – should be paid more than others. That would simple give them the sense of civic act and appreciate the double stress they go through, putting a smile on the face of a human being.

And then there is competitiveness. What a joy to know that schools will now compete between themselves attracting private investments in managing and running the school. Finally the principals will not only deal with the didactic aspect but also show their capacity to manage and run schools in a profi table way like any manager. Principals will now become a proper manager. If you can’t manage the school to the maximum of it’s fi nancial and didactic peak then you may as well change job. The same applies to the teachers.They will now be compensated and upgraded fi nancially if they show interests and efforts in methodology and dedication to the job.

Finally those who think they do not have to do anything else as soon as they are able to squeeze themselves into a teaching job will now have to wear their running shoes otherwise they may be rendered redundant. The stupid idea that the wives of professionals crowd Italian schools as a sort of past time, which would allow their lawyer, Engineer, Medical Practitioner husbands to have their hot pasta prepared by their wives in time for lunch should be put to a stop. Teaching is a serious matter!! Not a parking space for borgoise wives of professionals who has not vocation but needs to keep themselves busy using the salary as a pocket money. These are people who are in the school just to be able to get the salary and spend it on their toiletteries and Armani clothings because the husband brings in a huge bread home. And most especially they are simply happy to be identifi ed addressed with the apelative of professoressa so as to boost their mean and petit ego.

I personally have always said that the teaching job should be one of the best paid jobs in the world. But unfortunately it’s not just they way it should be. I just don’t understand why the people who run the country – the law makers – are not ready to pay the teachers who taught them how to read, write, speak and listen (if ever they do listen) good money for their job while they are lavishly paid for doing just about nothing. Without the grass root work of teachers we wouldn’t have good doctors, engineers, architects, politicians etc. So, just ask yourself who shoulders the ‘‘culture’’ of the people? The teachers of course. So, why for heavens sake are they the ones to earn less and be treated discriminately by the rest of the other professionals?

If this proposal should go through positively then a bit of history is being made in Italy. Fingers crossed.

Enjoy!