Protests against cuts to education fail to take account of the demographic decline. According to the Agnelli Foundation, the fall in pupil numbers will lead to the closure of around 40,000 classes by 2030

It is more constructive to protest over rents and classrooms than to chant from the river to the sea. However, care must be taken not to pursue anti-capitalist battles that cast private individuals and their investments as part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

The Council of Ministers has approved the education decree: in primary schools, the restriction applies to pupils who were not born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of nursery school

Who wrote to the editor-in-chief, Claudio Cerasa

Associations representing state-recognised private schools: “Any situations of significant imbalance in class composition must be addressed with common sense, without turning an organisational and educational problem into a criterion for exclusion.”

The concerns expressed by Amnesty International Italia regarding the Meloni decree are not in line with the rulings from Strasbourg. Inclusive education must respect the need to create an environment conducive to learning, social interaction and equality amongst pupils

Rent and housing policies also affect class composition. To tackle integration challenges, more Italian teachers, mediators and smaller class sizes are needed. The mayor of the Tuscan city and Irene Manzi, the PD’s education spokesperson, have spoken out

In Amatrice, the President opened the new school year: “Schools are called upon to foster social cohesion; they must forge bonds, win the trust of families, and help prevent the formation of ghettos and the erection of barriers. Coexistence and respect must prevail, banishing violence.” Zuppi at the CEI Permanent Council: “Let them be places where no one feels excluded.”