"The school is showing responsibility, ensuring the continuity of teaching through the digital means available. Some educational institutions had already experimented with distance learning and, therefore, are not in particular difficulties; others, however, are still beginnings, so you need to support them. " So the Minister of Education Lucia Azzolina answering the Question Time in the Chamber, to a question by the M5S MP Manuel Tuzi. "Today teaching, even in the remote mode imposed by the epidemic - he adds - is not only the tool that allows the students' learning process not to be interrupted, but it is also the way to bring the reassuring voice of a teacher to girls and children who are in a moment of disorientation, who have a particular need for support and normality. In these difficult days, giving continuity to teaching keeps the function of the school as a community alive and contrasts isolation and demotivation, giving continuity to the right education, protected by the Constitutional Charter. I am convinced that we will be able to transform this dramatic moment into an opportunity to make our education system better, "said the minister.
These are some of the issues addressed by the head of the Viale Trastevere department, Lucia Azzolina, during the Question Time:
Online lessons: "The educational institutions that have activated distance learning systems have managed to involve about 94% of students using multiple tools and 89% of schools have prepared specific materials for pupils with disabilities . The monitoring data confirm therefore a great solidarity of the school community, testified by 41% of the institutions interviewed that have activated forms of collaboration ", he says in reply to the deputy Alessandro Fusacchia (Mixed Group). "In the face of less equipped schools in the use of technologies, other realities have proved more ready and have been able to draw on broader and more solid skills. This situation, which appears to be 'leopard-like', is closely connected to the phenomenon more extended digital divide, and requires us to commit ourselves even more strongly to overcome it, in the belief that our school will be able to transform this dramatic moment into an opportunity for improvement ".
Resources for the less well-off : "I insisted that in decree-law no. 18 resources - equal to 85 million euros - be found to allow educational institutions, which lacked them, to immediately acquire platforms and digital tools useful for distance learning and to make individual digital devices and network connection available to less well-off students to ensure equal access to distance learning, thus safeguarding everyone's right to study. I will sign shortly once all passages foreseen by the current legal and contractual provisions, the decree of allocation of resources in favor of educational institutions based on fair criteria: the number of students, the data on the socio-economic condition of families ", declares Azzolina. "I did not want a" rain "allocation of resources but that takes into account the concrete condition of the students, to support those who need it most in terms of substantial equality. An increase of 2 million from the emergency of the Digital School Plan . Regarding the training of teachers, I want to highlight the important work that the approximately 8,200 digital animators are doing in schools, together with the approximately 24,000 teachers of the innovation teams present in each institute, as well as the commitment of the 120 teachers of the territorial training teams and networks of schools of the Future Labs, who are using all the resources available to promote webinars and online seminars for the development of the digital skills of the teachers. In recent days, a thousand contribution has also been paid euro to each educational institution, for a total of 8.2 million euro, which can be spent for the year 2020 also for the enhancement of distance learning. We are preparing all the necessary measures so that no one is left behind. "" The Government - continues answering the deputy Piccoli Nardelli - has allocated adequate resources so that schools can promptly provide for the enhancement of platforms and digital tools useful for distance learning and to put available to less well-off students, on loan for use, individual digital devices for the use of the platforms themselves. "" Schools with these resources will also be able to provide students with connectivity to the network where necessary, train school staff on the methodologies and the techniques for distance learning, and to hire IT technical assistants who in the first cycle school institutions favor the use of IT equipment. It is my intention to continue to make every effort to accommodate the requests that come from families and to respond to the small and large needs represented by our schools ".
High school exams: "I asked the Ministry offices to prepare multiple action plans based on different possible scenarios related to the reopening date of the schools. The teachers, students and their families, to whom we will provide maximum support, will be put in the best conditions to carry out a serious examination and they will receive all the information about the modalities that will be adopted, as soon as we have a more defined time frame ".
School canteens : "The attendance of state educational institutions of all levels and of publicly-run childcare schools is free. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the students' families who attend these schools, the only fee for the use of the service. canteen, mainly used by the children of the normal-time sections of the kindergarten and by the pupils of the full-time classes of the primary school. These fees are paid, directly or indirectly, to the local authority as the person in charge of managing the service of school meals which, during the period of suspension of didactic activities in attendance, are obviously not provided ". "In the event that it refers to the voluntary contribution paid by the families of pupils of the state schools, in the quota approved by the school board of the school institution - he adds - the relative funds may be used in the ways provided for by the specific resolution of the collegial bodies at the time the resumption of didactic activities in the presence and properly reported ".
Private school fees : "It does not fall within the competence of the Ministry of Education to allow exemption from payment of tuition in primary, secondary and first degree schools under private management, the size of which is determined by the individual educational institution". "The attendance of both public and private educational services for children from birth up to three years of age is also subject to the payment of a tuition by families. In this regard, the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) has communicated that almost all of the municipalities, in fact, has already suspended the fees for all educational services, including those relating to the transport and canteen service and in some cases the recovery, in favor of families, of the fees paid in advance has been arranged ", he continued .
