Maturity, Valditara: “The oral exam will be just an interview, no disciplinary checks. I tell the students: stay calm”

“The final oral exam will be just an interview on what was absorbed during the year and on future choices”. No more questions about Italian, mathematics and «disciplinary preparation». Therefore, “students who are preparing for the exam in a stressful way, don’t worry”. This is the message of the Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara from the podium of the Lega political training school in Milan. The minister of is aimed at students who will approach the first written exam on 21 June: it is necessary to “bring serenity back to classes and schools” in view of this exam.

The minister then spoke at length about school construction, school funds and Pnrr: «Someone says that we are cutting resources to the school, absolutely false. In the budget there have been more resources for schools, we have increased them significantly. But even with reference to the Pnrr, we have never said that we are cutting resources. Are we joking?”. The government, added Valditara, “will not apply any cuts”, but “with a responsible attitude, we ask the European Commission to consider the objectives achieved even discounting the increase in inflation”. In fact, he wants to explain to the EU Commission that, “since the costs of materials have increased by 30% and the resources are still the same – and we will spend them all, he is keen to clarify – we will say that we have found additional ones, but they will go separated because they cannot be considered part of the Pnrr».

«Another major commitment», continues the minister, «is to find incentives for the border areas so that there is no flight of teachers. I am thinking, for example, of a housing plan for civil servants and teachers in particular». Valditara spoke of “17,000 teachers fleeing Lombardy”, according to some surveys, while “the data from the ministry are even more dramatic: in some areas there is a 32% shortage of teachers”.

Then he returns to the subject of assaults at school: «Do you know how many reports of assaults I receive from school staff? It is unthinkable that a teacher is slapped and punched. And also on the insurance for teachers, how is it possible that no one has thought of it before? All the Public Administration is insured, only the school staff is not». And he concludes: «I think the culture of work is fundamental. We love, respect and value our Constitution. Article 4 says that the right and duty to work should be placed at the center from elementary school. Therefore the school must train to be aware citizens but must give opportunities for professional affirmation, because if it does not do so it does not fully achieve its objectives, in spite of those on the left who believe it is not important to introduce the culture of work at school”. And finally: «The school-work alternation is fundamental».