2024-04-30 18:40:58
BOLZANO. «I am very worried about what is happening in our schools. The trend has been growing for ten years, it is essential to address it as best as possible but we need more support teachers and more funding. I said it to the council.” Marco Galateovice-president of the Province and councilor for Education, speaks of a significant increase in pupils with special educational needs (Bes) in all Italian schools. This category includes children with problems of dysorthography, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia, as well as ADHD, a complex pathology characterized by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate which generally manifests itself before the age of seven.
The BES still embraces motor and cognitive disabilities. There are also disorders linked to socio-economic, linguistic and cultural factors with the school taking care of drawing up a personalized teaching plan.
Kindergarten, more than 3,000 enrolled: 221 with “special” needs
“The increase – says Galateo – is recorded in every school level, but the figure of the 23% increase in pupils with special educational needs in nursery school stands out”. So the numbers, «Next school year, more than 3,000 girls and boys will be enrolled in Italian nursery school, 221 have special educational needs and 78 have autism spectrum disorders».
Autism cases are increasing in all schools
«Throughout Italian schools – continues the councilor – cases of autism continue to increase, we have gone from 335 last year to 352 for the next school year 2024/2025. There will be around 3,400 pupils with Bes in all our schools this year but there are still some diagnoses still being ascertained by the health services. There will be over 22,000 students, this year those protected by law 104 were 1,159, next year they will rise further to reach 1,493″.
But why does Alto Adige have such high numbers? Galateo is wondering. «I made a request to the council for further explanations. I would like to understand how much the “migration” has an impact on some families from the rest of Italy who come to us because they feel safer and more protected in the province of Bolzano. I would also like to understand – without being misunderstood – whether Healthcare is certifying correctly or not. It seems that the Lazio region has about half of our cases. I would like more clarity.”
More support teachers and more funding
The significant increase in children with special educational needs requires more support teachers and more funding. «We do what we can and even more but in Alto Adige we have few support teachers, we need more». So does the councillor. «Today we are able to guarantee each student two and a half hours of support per week on average, in the rest of Italy the guaranteed hours are six. It will certainly be necessary to increase staff resources – whom I thank for the commitment they continue to demonstrate – and economic interventions to guarantee inclusive projects in the classrooms and therefore accessible and quality education for all our children”.
Kindergartens, 2024/25 staffing for Italians, Germans and Ladins
During the meeting on Tuesday 23 April, the provincial council decided on the staffing for next year of the Italian, German and Ladin nursery schools. The Italian Education and Training direction notes an increase of 9 enrollments compared to the previous school year. The sections go from 170 to 171. «We will have 4 more teachers». Next year, German kindergartens will have 11,157 children and the competent department has deemed it necessary to establish a new provincial nursery school in Naturno (Generationenpark), one in Bolzano (Grieser Auen) and one in Bressanone (Klosterwiese). The assigned staff quota for the next school year will be 1,362 positions and 50.5 additional full-time permanent substitute positions. The Ladins have 604 children enrolled in 17 nursery schools. The contingent of full-time teachers available is 85 places and 3 additional substitutes.
2024-04-30 18:40:58