Conference Program

The ethno-racial diversification of the teaching and educational workforce remains a largely unexplored issue in the Italian context. Existing studies highlight the scarcity of systematic research and reliable data on the presence and professional trajectories of educators with a migrant background in Italy. One reason for this gap is the still limited numerical relevance of the phenomenon. In the absence of comprehensive official statistics, data from AlmaLaurea (2024) indicate that 2.6% of graduates in Primary Education Sciences or Educational Sciences are foreign citizens, suggesting restricted access to both training pathways and employment in the educational sector.

At the same time, ongoing demographic and educational transformations point to a likely increase in the number of educators with a migrant background. The growing presence of second-generation students in Italian universities suggests that the diversification of the educational workforce may expand in the coming years, potentially responding to the needs of school systems characterized by stable multiculturalism. In many European contexts, the presence of teachers of immigrant origin in the public education sector has been considered an important indicator of the openness and inclusiveness of receiving societies, as well as a potential resource for addressing educational inequalities.

Within this framework, this contribution aims to develop a reflection informed by international literature and by the empirical evidence currently available. In particular, the paper focuses on two interconnected dimensions. First, it examines barriers and challenges affecting access to teacher education and professional careers among young people with migrant backgrounds, including institutional constraints, recognition of qualifications, and subtle processes of racialization within educational institutions. Second, it discusses the potential implications of teacher workforce diversification for students’ learning outcomes and broader school experiences, especially for pupils from minority backgrounds. International research suggests that greater diversity among teachers can contribute to improved representation, positive role modeling, and culturally responsive pedagogies, although such effects depend on broader institutional conditions and cannot be assumed automatically.

In addition, the paper presents preliminary findings from an exploratory mapping of racialized educators and teachers in Italy. The analysis combines data gathered through associative and professional networks with a documentary analysis of publicly available materials, including interviews, written testimonies, and digital content produced by educators with migrant backgrounds. This preliminary mapping aims to identify emerging professional trajectories, forms of collective organization, and narratives of belonging and exclusion that remain largely invisible within official data sources.

By bringing together conceptual reflections and exploratory empirical evidence, the paper contributes to opening a research agenda on the diversification of the educational workforce in Italy and its potential implications for more inclusive and equitable schooling systems.