by In Trieste
What seems like a never-ending battle continues as FVG’s president Massimiliano Fedriga prepares to fight yet another appeal of Regional Administrative Court that intends to reopen high schools in our region.
Only three of Italy’s 20 regions – Abruzzo, Tuscany and Valle d’Aosta – have allowed their high school students return to class and have resumed 50 per cent of lessons in the classroom.
Remote learning remains in place 100 per cent in all other regions whose leaders have chosen to postpone the reopening of their high schools to dates varying from 18 January to 1 February.
Friuli Venezia Giulia’s decree states that all high schools are to remain closed and offer long-distance learning until the end of the month. Fedriga made the decision to postpone the reopening of FVG high schools due to an increase in virus infections in the region, reports Italian news agency ANSA.
Many protests continued to take place throughout Friuli Venezia Giulia against long-distance learning with protestors claiming that distance learning “no longer works” and citing a “blackout in social interaction.”
“I understand their frustration” – FVG’s president Massimiliano Fedriga told RAI Radio 1 – “it’s difficult for students to understand why they are not going back to school. But I will not reopen high schools until I have a confirmation from Regional Administrative Course that there’s no possibility of contagion. I took full responsibility for closing high schools, now it’s time they do the same if they want to open them.”
On the national level, Italy’s education minister Lucia Azzolina stated in her recent interview that contagion is “very low” in Italy’s schools which are “organized very well.” The minister added that the students are “angry, disoriented and I am worried about the explosion of school dropout levels.”
