The School and Its Multiple Identities: A First-hand Account from North-East Italy

Abstract

In recent decades, the Italian school system has undergone a progressive process of weakening, particularly in terms of investments and recognition of the role of its workers. This is compounded by ongoing government attempts to impose a less inclusive vision of schooling, aligned with increasingly widespread nationalist, if not outright racist, sentiments in our society. Despite this, the school continues to play an antagonistic role, stemming from its multicultural character. Starting from these premises, the case of Friuli-Venezia Giulia—a border region with multiple identities, plastically represented by the presence of second-generation Italians of Balkan origins—will be taken as an example.