Sunday, March 10, 2013

ITALY: immigrants and the right to education

ITALY: immigrants and the right to education.
Italy is one of the most important destination countries for migrants to Europe: Around 5,000,000 regular migrants live in the country (about 8 per cent of the total population) and the annual growth rate of migrant presence is – together with Spain – the highest in the European Union.
The right to education is guaranteed to foreigners regularly residing in Italy, under the same conditions of Italian citizens. In particular, minors are guaranteed the right (and obligation) to study: all minor foreign citizens must comply with a “compulsory education period” (primary and secondary school), even if they do not have a residence permit (school enrolment does not constitute a requirement to regularize neither minors, nor their parents).  Law 40 has established the compulsory education for all foreign children, has foreseen initiatives for the learning of the Italian language and has promoted the protection of the language and culture of origin. “School community receives linguistic and cultural differences as a value to establish as a basis for reciprocal respect, exchange among cultures and tolerance; in order to reach this goal, it promotes and encourages initiatives aimed at reception, protection of culture and language of origin and implementation of common intercultural activities” (Art. 36, comma 3).
Italian schools impose a 30 per cent limit on foreigners in classes in an attempt to help integration.
Under Italian law, education is compulsory for minors until they are 15: minors are automatically enrolled in the class which corresponds to their age. The teaching body can anyway decide to enroll minors in an immediately upper or lower class, by taking into consideration minors’ preparation, the studies they carried out, and their educational qualification.
In Italy children must compulsory attend primary and secondary school. After the fifth year of primary school and after the third year of secondary school children have to take an exam (primary school diploma and secondary school diploma respectively). The secondary school diploma is necessary both to enroll to high school, and to take part into state competitive examinations, it is additionally required by almost all employers.
High school is not compulsory. Attending high school allows students to take their school learning examination, thus obtaining a school-learning certificate (called: “diploma di maturità”) that allows them to be admitted to university.

Support for school integration
Teachers and students of infant school, nursery school, primary school, secondary school and high school can be supported in several different ways in order to reach school integration: social workers of various municipalities – on the ground of their acquaintance as to young people – intervene and support students that have some difficulties at setting in at school.
Some voluntary workers’ associations – in accordance with teachers – activities aimed at helping in their class, (there are for example groups of voluntary workers that help children to do their home work after school).

Adult’s Education
The Permanent Local Centers (Centri Territoriali Permanenti) are in charge of Adults’ Education. People over 15 years of age can avail themselves of adult’s education services. The Permanent Local Centers organize several free public courses:
to get the primary school certificate;
for foreign people that want to learn Italian, (various levels); within the district it is also possible to attend the preparatory class aimed at taking the Italian language exam with the University for foreign people (Italian language Certificate as a Foreign Language – “Certificazione di Italiano come lingua Straniera C.I.L.S.);
for adults’ education (foreign languages, multimedia education, pre-professional classes,  etc.).

Vocational Training
Vocational training is addressed to people over 15 years of age.
Vocational training courses train people to carry out qualified jobs within industries or other working places.
“Upper level” Vocational Training is addressed to young people holding a diploma or a degree.
Vocational courses can be set up by local Authorities and by other Public and Private Bodies.
If supported by a Public Body, vocational training courses are free. In some private schools a fee is charged. For some courses scholarships are awarded. Secondary School certificate is usually necessary to be admitted. Courses making part of the Provincial planes financed by the Regions.


Cinderella- Roald Dahl


Sunday, March 3, 2013

Italy: Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

This particular story about her is similar to Cinderella and was first recorded by Alexander Afanasyev.  

Baba Yaga is a very popular figure in Slavic folklore. She is an old crone who flies through the air on her mortar and pestle and aids people with pure hearts and eats the souls of those who come to her unclean. Sometimes she lives in a house on chicken legs and sometimes she lives in a gingerbread house.


Before Vasilisa begins her journey, she lives in the "Innocent World of Childhood". Like many other tales, this is a constraining prison where her evil stepmother forces her to do menial labor.

Vasilisa's call to adventure comes when her evil stepmother tells her to go to Baba Yaga's house and get a candle, knowing that Vasilisa will probably be eaten if she does. As is often typical of a heroine's journey, Vasilisa's guide (in this case her stepmother) is also her captor. 
Vasilisa has a supernatural aid in the doll her mother made for her. The doll speaks comforting words to her and promises that she will help her on the journey.
Our heroine enters the "Green World" or "Departure Threshold" when she makes the terrifying journey through the woods to Baba Yaga's house. There, she encounters three mystical horsemen, white, red and black, representing dawn, daybreak and nightfall.

Her road of trials takes place when she is given impossible tasks by Baba Yaga. She must sort a bushel of wheat from the chaff, wash linen, cook a gourmet dinner and clean the hut. This fits the "Imprisonment in Domestic Enclosures" stage of the heroine's journey. Vasilisa is in despair until her mother's doll says that she will help her.

The next day she is given similar impossible tasks to do, and the doll continues to help her. Vasilisa's final trial comes at dinner one night when Baba Yaga tells her to ask a question. Vasilisa asks her who the three horsemen are in the forest. Baba Yaga is pleased because she hates answering questions about herself and tells her gleefully.


Next, Baba Yaga asks Vasilisa how she was able to perform all the impossible tasks. Vasilisa simply answers, "By my mother's love", an expression of the "Discovery of Mother" stage of the journey. Baba Yaga, meanwhile is disgusted by the mention of love and tells Vasilisa to get a light and go home.


Vasilisa takes a glowing skull and brings it home. However, when her stepmother and stepsisters see it, it engulfs them in flames. Vasilisa is now free to pursue her own happiness. She travels to the neighboring town and an elderly woman takes her in as her own daughter.
This is another "Discovery of Mother" stage where Vasilisa's fake mother (stepmother) is replaced by a real mother figure. It is the Discovery of Female Tradition/Community as Vasilisa learns how to spin and weave. Finally, it allows a "Realease of Creativity" for Vasilisa as she lears to express herself in this new art form.


The elderly woman gives Vasilisa's cloth to the tzar and Vasilisa is called to the palace to cut the fabric. When the tzar sees her, he falls instantly in love and they are married. As a princess, Vasilisa's world is transformed and she lives happily ever after.




Theater school workshop about European tales with actors Annalisa Legato and Antonella Vittore .