No child is foreign in their own classroom!

Why is this important?

My son just started the 3rd grade here in Bologna. He has sixteen classmates. Yasmin is his best friend. 

They’re regular kids. They struggle with the multiplication tables, love to play tag, and even try to sneak the odd candy into class. 

All of them were born in Italy. Among them are nine nationalities, and just as many second languages. But now Meloni has plans to separate “foreign” children. Putting a 30% limit on non-Italian citizens in each class.  Where a class goes over, some children could be sent to another school. [1]

They say it’s to improve Italian-language learning. But we know better. If this law was in place, at least three of my son’s Italian-born classmates may not be allowed in this class. 

This is how exclusion starts. And silence is how it spreads. 

Thankfully, the WeMove Europe community is not known for its silence.  And nothing is final yet: Italy's Parliament still has to vote on the decree, and can change it.

While this may be an Italian problem right now,  it’s so much bigger than that. Today it’s Italy, tomorrow it’s your hometown. So let’s make sure the children growing up in Europe hear something different from us:

You belong here. And our schools belong to all of us.

References: