Conference Program

The Italian education system is marked by profound territorial divides that affect students' access, educational quality, and learning outcomes. For over two decades, national and international surveys have highlighted the persistence of a fracture between the North and South of the country, which intersects with the divide between inner areas and urban centers. In these regions, declining birth rates, demographic aging, and migratory flows towards urban hubs generate a structural decrease in school enrollments, exposing small school facilities to the risk of closure and leading to an increase in multigrade classes.

This study aims to analyze the organizational and pedagogical strategies implemented by schools with stable multigrade classes working in synergy with local authorities. The objective is to understand how such collaborations ensure the sustainability and functionality of educational outposts in fragile territories.

Utilizing a case study methodology, the research identified five distinct experiences, structuring the analysis along two complementary dimensions: firstly, the analysis of local governance and the decision-making mechanisms adopted to address the demographic challenge; secondly, the analysis of the educational provision developed by schools, focusing on their capacity to innovate and diversify educational pathways to make them more aligned with local socio-territorial needs and, simultaneously, more attractive to families. The investigation intends to provide a comprehensive framework of the policies enacted at the local level, analyzing how schools can act as central players in policies aimed at countering territorial marginalization. Ultimately, the analysis will outline both the success factors attributable to the effectiveness of the institutional network and those linked to the pedagogical and didactic innovation put into practice by the school.