Montaruli: “Yes to the enhancement of Stem subjects. Limited number tests for Medicine are unfair, we need to change” [INTERVISTA]

Augusta Montaruli has been Undersecretary of the University since the end of October. The exponent of the Brothers of Italy in an interview with Orizzonte Scuola takes stock of the merits of the activities of his dicastery: from the entrance tests for Medicine to the STEM subjects passing through the right to study and the student housing emergency

One of the issues that is closest to the government’s heart is the right to study: 500 million have been allocated in the Budget Law. Does the measure represent just the beginning of more extensive investment in the sector?

“With this intervention we have saved the right to study, for which otherwise there would not have been sufficient resources, thus avoiding a collapse. It is not a real start but, in the meantime, without this intervention the right to study of many students would have been compromised. Merit means above all the possibility of accessing the university path and putting one’s talent into play. We have guaranteed it and we will continue to work in this direction”.

Another deeply felt issue is that of renting out-of-town students: especially in big cities it is practically impossible to rent a room. How can the problem be overcome?

“First of all we are working on the measure envisaged by the Pnrr which, by 2026, plans to increase the number of beds for off-site students from the current 40,000 to over 100,000. This is a substantial leap forward. The Government, through the intervention of Minister Bernini, on this front immediately did its utmost to achieve the objectives, also through a ministerial decree without which the progressive finding of housing, and with it the benefit of the funds, would not have been possible. While the MUR works for the realization of this mission, there has been, at the same time, an increase in the fund for the rentals of off-site students, enrolled in state universities, belonging to families with an ISEE not exceeding 20,000 euros and who do not use of other public contributions”.

Are you in favor of eliminating limited-number tests for medical faculties? You opened up to the possibility of the method in force in France. Can you explain your position better?

“The current method of accessing the medical faculty is, in my opinion, unfair and disrespectful with respect to the criteria of merit and the real preparation of those who aspire to embark on this path. Moreover, even the corrective imagined by the previous government places young people who decide to enter the Faculty of Medicine in the face of too stringent times and methods, which are difficult to reconcile with the overall study needs and which, in any case, do not constitute an objective parameter of selection. Everyone must be guaranteed the right to compete by following courses and demonstrating the real aptitude for studying with respect to those subjects. It is on the basis of this principle that the selection must be made, also with a view to pre-established access numbers. In this context, the so-called French model is the most relevant. A model that clearly would not be without appropriate corrections, for example regarding the times that could be perfected in order not to make those who fail the selection lose their academic year, guaranteeing support towards paths more relevant to their talent. To make the analysis of such a delicate, and in my opinion necessary, reform even more complete and solid, Minister Bernini has recently set up a special commission within the Mur”.

Too many graduates in some sectors, while in other subjects, such as science, the number is below the requirement. How is it possible, in the short and medium term, to improve the situation?

“We have already promoted and supported the strengthening of STEM subjects from the opposition benches so, now that we are in government, we reiterate that this is our goal. In my opinion, this trend reversal passes through an effective study orientation work during the compulsory schooling process. At the same time, the problem of correspondence between the number of graduates and the ability of the world of work to attract them needs to be addressed. In this sense, it is necessary to imagine a skills plan that involves the world of universities and AFAM so that the freedom of choice of higher education path is, at the same time, accompanied by full awareness of the skills sought in the public and private sectors. Each talent must be able to find working spaces that represent the concrete application of the studies completed”.

The news of the choice of a Finnish family to “run away” from Italy because they deemed the school unsuitable for their children caused a stir. Public opinion is divided. What did you think of the story? Is everything okay in the Italian school?

“To say everything is fine would be a lie but, at the same time, I wouldn’t take even a single case to benchmark the health of our education system. There are gaps and disparities, it is true, just as we boast of excellence and situations that have been growing and evolving positively over the years. Generalizing is often an understatement: continuing to work, with a view to growing and improving, is a duty”.