DEFEND THE DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL Teachers go on strike and researchers, students and parents protested, the cuts to public education (and in general to culture) hit schools of every kind and degree from those of big cities to those of small countries, but the school's founding body a company, means the formation of informed citizens, take away money is undermining democracy itself. Here are some steps in a speech in support of the state school, you will probably surprised to find out who and, especially, when it was pronounced. "Why do we defend the school? Perhaps the school is in danger? What is the school that we are defending? What is the danger that hangs over school that we are defending the school ?(...) defend dem ocratica : the school that corresponds to the democratic constitution that we wanted to give, the school that is a function of this Constitution, which can be an instrument, because the Constitution written on the sheets to become a reality [...]. The school, as I see it, is an organ constitutional. " Has its position it, its importance to the center of the complex of organs that make up the Constitution . As you know, in the second part of the Constitution, what is called "state law", are described those organs through which it expresses the will of the people.
those organs through which policy becomes law, vital and healthy political struggles are transformed into laws. Now, when you can think of asking what are the constitutional bodies, all of you will naturally answer: are the houses, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, the President of the Republic, the Judiciary, but there will think of between these agencies also consider the school, which instead is a vital organ of democracy as we conceive. If you were to make a comparison between the constitutional body and the human body, you should say that the school match those organs which have the function in the human body to create blood [...].
The school, the central organ of democracy, because it helps to solve what we believe is the central problem of democracy: the formation of the ruling class . The formation of the ruling class, not only in the sense of the political class, that class that is sitting in parliament and discuss and talk (and even screaming) that is at the top of the organs most specifically political, but also leadership in the cultural sense and Technical : those who are head of the workshops and farms, they teach, who write, artists, professionals, poets. This is the problem of democracy, the creation of this class, which should not be a hereditary caste, closed, an oligarchy, a church, a priesthood, an order . No. In our thought of democracy, the ruling class must be open and constantly renewed by the influx to the top of the best elements of all classes, of all categories. Each class, each class must be able to free up its best elements , because each of them may temporarily, temporarily, for that brief moment of life that fate allows each of us, help to bring his work, his best personal qualities to the advancement of society [...].
must serve democracy, allowing every man worthy to have his share of sunshine and dignity. But this can only do the school, which is the corollary of universal suffrage. The school, which has precisely this character up a political sense, because it alone can help you choose, it can only help create the people worthy of being chosen, which normally surface from all walks of life.
You see, this image is enshrined in a constitutional article, albeit with a less imaginative formula. It is the art. 34, where it is said: " The school is open to all. Capable and deserving pupils, even without financial resources, have the right to attain the highest levels of education . This is the most important article of our Constitution. One must appreciate the political and social value of this article. Seminarium I published guilty, said the Latin marriage. We could say the school: I published seminarium rei: the school draws the best for the renovation continues , daily of the ruling class. Now, if this is the constitutional function of the school in our republic, let us ask: how built this tool? What are its principles? First of all, school State. The State must provide its schools. First of all the public school .(...) The State must not say: I do a school as a model, then the rest of the others do. No, the school is open to everyone and if everyone wants to attend school in the state, there must be all kinds of schools, many schools excellent, equivalent to the principles laid down by the state, public schools, making it possible to gather all those who addressed to the State to go in its schools. The school is open to all. The State must therefore be good schools to accommodate all . This is written in art. 33 of Constitution. The school in the state, the democratic school is a school that has a unifying effect, is the school of all, create citizens.
School of government, it should be a guarantee, because you do not slip into what would be the end of the school and perhaps the end of democracy and freedom, that is the party school . How do you set up in a country with a party school? It can be done in two ways . One is the open totalitarianism, said. We have experienced, unfortunately. I think everyone here you remember, though many people do you remember most. We experienced under fascism. All schools become schools of the State: private school is no longer permitted, but the State becomes a party and then all schools are state schools, but schools are for this party. But there is another form to convert the school to get state party school or sect. Totalitarianism sneaky, indirect, torpid, sluggish like some pneumonias that are without fever, but are dangerous. Let us assume, so theoretically, there is a ruling party, a ruling party, which, however, formally wants to respect the constitution, not want to violate the substance. It does not make the March on Rome and transform the classroom space for the paddles, but wants to establish, without opinion, a disguised dictatorship. So, what to do to gain control of schools and to transform the State schools into Party schools? He realizes that the State schools have the defect of being impartial. There is some resistance, in those schools is always there, even under fascism has been there. Then, the dominant party follows another path (it's all a theoretical hypothesis, mind you).
starts to neglect the public schools, to discredit, to impoverish . Let it anemizzino and begins to favor private schools. all treatments start going to these private schools. Cure of money and privileges. He even begins to advise the boys to go to these schools, because in the end are better, they say, those of the state. And maybe give themselves awards, as now I will tell you, or proposes to give awards to citizens who are willing to send their children to public schools rather than private schools .(...)
And then there's another danger, perhaps even more serious. It is the danger of moral decay in the school. This sense of distrust, cynicism, rather than skepticism that is spreading in schools, especially among young people, is very significant. It is the sunset of the ideas of the old school of Gaetano Salvemini, Augusto Monti: reliability, accuracy, honesty, punctuality. These simple ideas. Doing their duty, to teach. And that school is a school of character, forming consciences, to forming honest and loyal. Is spreading, however, the idea that all this is over, that is no longer valid, apply today supports and recommendations. "
Calamandrei Piero, Rome February 11, 1950. Association to defend the national school.
There is some difference with the minister today that says: "Try to make a sandwich with the Divine Comedy." Concepts of morality and sixty years ago seem (are?) Much of the current poverty of today's ideas
