The school year kicked off Monday as Premier Matteo Renzi and many of his cabinet fanned out across Italy to show the government is serious about making education a priority by attending the first day of class.
In Palermo, the premier visited the Pino Puglisi institute, named for an anti-mafia priest who was assassinated on his birthday by the mafia in 1993.
The mafia is "still strong, not only in Palermo but particularly in the North with its economic connections," Renzi told students.
"We will fight the mafia every day, starting from these schools".
Children applauded the premier while outside, temp teachers protested their lack of a permanent contract as Renzi reiterated that there is "an obligation" to hire 149,000 new teachers as per his school reform package. Renzi then cut the ribbon the school's brand-new computer science classroom, which was built using European Union funds, and the student soccer team presented him with a team jersey with his name on it. The premier promised to come play in one of their matches sometime in the near future.
In Rome, Education Minister Stefania Giannini visited a technical institute on the outskirts of Rome, where she hailed a successful work-study program bringing students and prisoners together to learn skills that will get them jobs on the outside.
"This is a beautiful example of what we mean by 'the good school'," Giannini said in reference to the government's 12-point school reform package, which calls for work-study programs, mandatory foreign language classes beginning in elementary school, and beefed-up art history, computer science, and economics departments.
She also urged parents to check out the government's education reforms website www.labuonascuola.it, which outlines the government plan that also includes hiring almost 150,000 full-time teachers, eliminating cumbersome waiting lists that reportedly can last for years, and cutting substitute teaching by giving temp teachers permanent contracts.
The government also plans to call for another 40,000 new full-time teachers to replace those retiring in 2016-2019.
Giannini was also met by protesting temp teachers, who charged the government will pay for the new hires with salary cuts.
"We ask to be hired without being blackmailed," teacher representatives said.
At the Ripetta art school in the capital, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini told students that linear public spending cuts made by previous administrations that led to the elimination of art history from the curriculum was "a grave error".
"Art history will be reintroduced under our school reform," the minister said.
Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi, Cabinet Undersecretary Graziano Delrio, Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi, Labour Minister Giuliano Poletti, and Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti are among the cabinet members who "went to school" on Monday, which also saw a smattering of student protests.
In the Sardinian capital of Cagliari, members of the Student Union (UDS) picketed their high school in protest against the high cost of school books and transportation.
"We must give purchasing power back to families so they can support their kids' education," Cossu said, announcing a regional student rally October 10.
A September study by consumer group ADOC showed as many as 40% of Italian families face "enormous difficulty" facing the cost of school books and other materials for their children. The average cost of schoolbooks rose by 1.4% this year, according to Federconsumatori consumer group, and 78% of students surveyed said they will buy used books to save money.
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