the new winter

Sure, much can be said about the reform that is known under the title

La buona scuola

and there may well be some positive aspects.

However, there is definitely a very good reason to populate today the squares and streets of Italy, in protest against the reforms.

Without going into detail, one aspect of the government measures is the precarisation of the position of teachers as the law

 prevede tra le altre cose l’assunzione di circa 100mila insegnanti precari

Interestingly precari translates easily into temporary.

• if I hear teachers, talking about the situation at schools
• if I listen to young people, talking about the situation after having left school or university and
• if if I look at the various aspects of my current work, preparing the workshop on precarity, organised by TRANSFORM,

I can only hope that the protest reaches a level that urges politicians (and actually not only here in Italy) to move beyond temporary measures.

One point that is frightening: starting with precarisation of the teachers’ positions at school has the “side effect” of normalisation, of brainwashing, making young people think and accept that the lack of security is the only thing that can be taken for granted …

… Much remains to be done, though it may well be that it is not the reestablishment of old securities within societies that are characterised by extrem inequality. Instead …

She sang the heavenly lullaby,
The old song of abnegation,
By which the people, this giant fool,
Is lulled from its lamentation.

I know the tune, I know the words,
I also know every author;
I know they secretly drank wine,
While publicly preaching water.

A new song, a better song,
My friends will be my aim!
We should, right now on earth,

A kingdom of heaven proclaim.

Truth not only to be considered in Heine’s Germany