The Challenges of Immigrant-Origin Students in Italy

This chapter examines the impact of immigration on the Italian school system. At the beginning of the nineties, Italy began to be a country of destination for large flows of immigrants. A few years later, the repercussions of these arrivals were also felt in the first levels of education of the Italian school system: primary and secondary schools. Over the years, teachers and principals have been forced to face new and unexpected challenges. In fact, not only do foreign students show difficulties in their schooling due to the fact that they are overrepresented groups in poorer social classes, but also experience additional educational disadvantages due to their specific migration background. Many immigrant-origin students do not possess adequate knowledge of the Italian language, have limited familiarity with the education system, have difficulties in interacting with teachers and peers, and experience problems related to prejudice and discrimination. The Ministry of Education has tried to address the challenge posed by foreign students by promoting intercultural education in schools. However, the results achieved so far have not always been satisfactory. One factor responsible for this has been the speed with which the immigrant school population has grown in a rather short time. School managers and teachers have therefore been taken by surprise by the arrival of the new challenges brought by this population. In addition, most school staff had to deal with foreign students without being adequately trained and qualified. Empirical evidence has however shown that many effective good practices have flourished thanks to the personal initiative of a number of teachers sensitive to the school and social integration of foreign students. The the main limitation of these good practices, however, is that it is difficult to export them to other schools. One of the main challenges facing students of immigrant origin is undoubtedly the acquisition of Italian as a second language (L2). The acquisition of Italian as L2 is also one - though not the only one - of the main factors responsible for the low academic performance of immigrant-origin students. Immigrant-origin students also face other challenges, such as school delay, repetition, poor academic school performance (low grades in different subjects), drop-out risk. Finally, immigrant-origin students - even when they manage to achieve good school results - prefer to opt for higher education paths that are more work-oriented rather than university-oriented. The educational path faced by young foreigners is a path full of obstacles.