Pupils between 3 and 10 years of age decreased by 463. Negative data but more contained in middle and high schools
Paola Dall’Anese / belluno
The 2021/2022 school year in Belluno will start with 550 fewer students. The data comes from the provincial school office which, despite the reduced staff, is also able to follow these tasks. The greatest loss is recorded between 3 and 10 years, or from childhood to elementary school, who lose 135 and 328 children respectively (463 in total). Important numbers that on the one hand highlight the phenomenon of denatality and on the other are destined to cause a decrease in classes and places reserved for teachers, which will be 29 fewer.
THE NUMBERS
The greatest loss, as we said, is recorded in the first years of school age: the kindergarten will go from 2,474 to 2,339 pupils; the greatest losses will occur in elementary school, where it goes from 7,423 to 7,095 children. The difference is significantly reduced in the averages, where pupils will drop by 55 units (from 5,036 to 4,981). To close the picture the high schools, which will have 32 more children, going from 8,017 to 7,985.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE FSO
«The decrease in births will inevitably have repercussions on the number of classes, sections and teachers. As far as we can, we will try to keep the services going; for the next school year I can say that the policy has decided to confirm the current school staff », specifies the director of the territorial school office, Massimiliano Salvador.
THE TRADE UNIONS
«The birth rate is starting to make itself felt. If this year the greatest suffering was encountered in childhood, with over 300 fewer children than in 2019-2020, the problem will be highlighted especially in elementary school from September “, explains Lorella Benvegnù of CISL Scuola, who then moves on to a reasoning on the relationship between numbers and jobs. “It is estimated that this reduction in students will lead to the loss of 29 teaching posts. These are teachers who, due to the lack of students, especially between childhood and primary, will lose their class, but since they are in the role they will then be repositioned in other schools. As for the nursery schools, we will lose a section in Quero and one in Trichiana, while in Mel there will be one less class in elementary school. Less classes also at IC Belluno 1 and in Ponte nelle Alpi », Benvegnù emphasizes, who then highlights the great work done by the school office to protect the educational offer. “To limit depopulation, under-sized classes have been granted, that is, those that have a lower number of pupils than required by the law. We are talking about the first classes of the Santo Stefano wood school, which will start in September with 10 students instead of the minimum 15 expected, of the hospitality industry in Falcade and the Comprensivo di Gosaldo. Keeping the complexes and schools, despite the low number of students, is the only way to guarantee a service to the families who remain in the area ».
“The decline in births is a real problem for our territory,” adds Alessia Cerentin of the Flc CGIL. “Too bad that the government has disregarded the Pact for the school, not giving the promised school staff and therefore not reducing the number of pupils per class”.
Finally, the secretary of the CISL school announces that by ministerial decree this year the number of undersized schools will decrease, those that do not reach 300 students. «Only the IC of Forno di Zoldo and the Dolomieu will remain underpowered, while the IC of Alleghe, Cencenighe and Longarone will return to normal schools, therefore with their own administrative director, rather than shared.
«Too bad that the ranking for these figures is exhausted, so I don’t know where they will be found. We will also lose two janitors, while we will recover six jobs as IT technicians for elementary school. Confirmed the boarding school in Longarone del Dolomieu ».