UNUSUAL AS POLITICS
If you were wondering whether Italian media has taken an interest in the American presidential election, the answer is yes. Nearly every paper has a section devoted to the U.S. with stories about Obama and McCain, pictures of Palin, and gossip from the Drudge Report and the New York Times.
While watching the American political drama unfold, another issue has claimed the spotlight in Italian news. It has to do with a new law proposed by Burlusconi’s government that will simultaneously attempt to reform and cut the budget of a struggling education system. For weeks, students and teachers in every major Italian city have been protesting the law, hoping that the majority government might think twice about their measures.
The protests culminated yesterday in a massive rally through downtown Rome. During an architecture review in the Cornell Palazzo, we heard shouts from the crowd of thousands streaming past Largo Argentina. After presenting our work, I slipped out with Giuseppe and Travis to see the spectacle. We walked among students to the Ministry of Education where we experienced the demonstration first hand. Below the banners and riot police, everything remained quite calm–aided in no small part by marijuana and rhythmic dance music.
To everyone’s disapointment the protests failed to sway the government. The law passed and all that remains to be seen is how it will be implemented. One hopes for the best.
October 31st, 2008 at 16:42
I am so curious about just what the students are protesting against. When we were in Italy, we watched the news every day and I knew that they were unhappy with Gelsomini (or a name similar to that), but I didn’t have enough Italian, or they didn’t give enough details for me to really grasp what the problem was. It is fascinating.
We were in Rome the day the Partita Democratici (sp?) rallied for Veltroni. We didn’t exactly mingle, but we intersected various groups of them as we meandered near the Imperial Forums and to our hotel which was just south of Piazza Repubblica. Then, because we are a bit touched, we watched Veltroni’s speech on television. I was pleased that I understood (or thought I did) much of what he was saying. I was actually impressed by what appeared to be the lack of violence. The Guardia di Finanza were all around in what looked like well-armed condition, but there didn’t seem to be any air of malevolence to the crowd. Is it possible to miss that because of the language barrier?
Mary Cae
November 1st, 2008 at 15:02
The issues are extremely confusing and the articles in La Repubblica and other Italian papers are even more so. Gelmini has proposed major budget cuts in conjunction with a series of reforms: fewer teachers, a shorter school week, a different grading system, uniforms for youngsters, etc.
The truth is that people don’t know everything about the law– they just know that they don’t like it. My understanding is that nearly everyone is against the proposal, but they can’t agree what they want. People are extremely divided: the right, the left, neo-fascists, neo-communists, etc. The protests (whatever the cause) provide a venue for these groups to fight. The petty fighting and mixed messages make it easy for the government to overlook sincere concerns.
I managed to find a decent article in the Guardian that talks about these issues in English. It helped me understand a few things that had been lost in translation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/21/schools-italy
November 9th, 2008 at 21:33
Weighing back in on this topic. The article is very interesting. It seems that the USA is not the only country struggling with educational reforms…who really does know what is best for the system? And are they the same things that are best for children/students? Hmmm?
I wonder what a new presidential administration will say/do about education here?