From the concept of citizenship to the transversal skills for global citizenship in schools

Civic education in Italy has been included in the school curriculum since 1958, and it is characterized by many changes: in the school year 2010/2011, it takes the name of Citizenship and Constitution, but this teaching still is not enough to understand a contemporary world which is more and more a complex system of interdependencies. The need to educate for global citizenship is recommended by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament to all member states and has been accepted in various national school regulations. In Italy, the National Guidelines for the Curriculum of Kindergarten School and the First Cycle of Education refers to global citizenship as a horizon for the new generations. In addition to addressing the legislative and curricular aspects of global citizenship education, the chapter intends to present the results of a first survey, aimed at secondary school teachers, on knowledge related to migration, global citizenship and co-development, on training needs and on teaching related to participatory and collaborative methodologies. In this context of international crisis, it becomes even more urgent to increase social and civic competences to promote the eradication of poverty and the expansion of justice and social equity and human rights. Migration and co-development represent social issues to be transformed into educational objects, with the contribution of knowledge and scholastic disciplines.