Page 18 - IO1-Report

KA201 - Strategic Partnerships for School Education
The Universal Language of Mathematics (2018-1-TR01-KA201-059704)

9. The role and responsibilities of school leaders
10. The role of teachers and non-teaching staff
However, the real challenge that emerges from many scholars’ research in Italy is that of school
performance: the school achievements of foreigners are considerably worse than those of Italians.
However, empirical findings show that migration itself is not necessarily the reasons for these
developments. For example, Dalla Zuanna (2011) makes a comparison with Australian immigrant
children who on average are showing better school results than their Australian colleagues, and Swedish
immigrant pupils whose marks are not worse than those of their Swedish peers. In this study she was
able to show that the root of the problem is inherent in the Italian school system: the Italian school
system advantages children from privileged classes who receive parental support or are financially able
to get tutoring, while immigrant children and their parents who are affected by structural and social
inequalities are disadvantaged. For example, on the early stages, when families are deciding upon
schools for their children, the Italian system tends to give more value to the parents’ choice than to
abilities and predispositions of pupils, leading to low school children mobility and diversity (Checchi and
Flabbi 2007). However the decision of immigrant children from families that might lack country-specific
human capital and appropriate knowledge of the Italian educational system are less considered (Barban
and White 2011). Another example for disadvantages in Italian school system is, that it is strongly based
on homework, which implies that pupils – to be successful – have to have someone at home who can
help them with their tasks. The research conducted amongst pupils showed that 4 out of 10 Italian
pupils get support and tuorials at home. This number is higher in the families, where both of the parents
received higher education – 7 out of 10 children in such homes receive help with their homework. On
the contrast, only one immigrant student out of 10 stated that she or he has someone who helps her/him
to do homework. (Dalla Zuanna 2011) The school doesn’t bridge the social gap neither between young
immigrant children and their Italian peers, nor between Italian school pupils from different social classes.
As for foreigners, the difference in the age of arrival in Italy is very important. Those who were born in
Italy are as behind in their school performance as their Italian colleagues from low-education families.
And for those migrant pupils who arrived in Italy together with their families, the gap is even more
obvious. In addition, young foreigners not only struggle with the competitive disadvantage as children
of one of the most disadvantaged social groups in Italy, but also have to overcome further obstacles
linked to their immigrant status. (Barban et al. 2008; Dalla Zuanna 2011) Hence, even younger
foreigners who graduate from middle schools with good results tend to study only for a short period of
time, as they are entering the labour market much earlier. This does not mean that Italian school system
has to lower its performance standards, but to quote Dalla Zuanna (2011), it’s crucial to “emphasize
that it’s the necessary to give more school time to those pupils who need it, to whose, who are more
disadvantaged than the average student”. Many immigrant pupils never get the chance to fully socialise
through school and develop their skills and talents to their full potential. School as an important
instrument to integrate young migrant people into society and give them more opportunities in life. The
lack of this process can potentially lead to various human rights violations, criminal behaviours etc.

A first nation-wide research (ITAGEN2), conducted by several researchers in two Waves in 2005-2006,
was the first one on migrant children who were born in Italy or moved there at a young age (Chiodi and
Benadusi 2006, Barban et al. 2008, Casacchia et al. 2008, Ricucci 2010; 2011; 2012, Eve and Ricucci

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