The government will take measures to
try to ensure that the majority of Italian school classes are
Italian pupils and that foreign students assimilate along with
their parents by learning Italian language and culture, and not
living in separate communities, Education Minister Giuseppe
Valditara said Thursday.
"If one agrees that foreigners should assimilate into the
fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution, this will
happen more easily if the majority in the classes are Italians,
if they study Italian in an enhanced manner where they do not
already know it well, if Italian history, literature, art, and
music are taught in depth in the schools, if their parents are
also involved in learning the Italian language and culture, and
if they do not live in separate communities," he said.
"It is in this direction that we intend to move," he said.
Valditara went on to urge assimilation through learning
essential values and to reject the 'melting pot' model of
multiculturalism.
He said: "Inclusion can either take place by assimilating the
newcomers into the fundamental values, those that are enshrined
in the Constitution and belong to the identity of the host, or
by realising the melting pot society, where everyone thinks and
does what they want.
"The first society has an orderly and prosperous future, the
second faces disintegration and chaos".
An alleged lack of assimilation of foreign students has been
highlighted recently by the case of a school near Milan where
40% of the students are Muslim and which has given them the last
day of Ramadan off.
In other places there are even larger majorities of non-Italian
pupils and students.
Rightwing politicians like League leader Matteo Salvini have
said there must always be a majority of Italian students in
Italy's classrooms.
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