Conference Program

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of educational inequalities in the province of Chieti, located in Central-Southern Italy. The focus is on the active role that schools and educational staff can play in implementing strategies aimed at reducing educational poverty and school dropout.

Drawing on Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) and Freire's critical pedagogy (1970), the research examines how schools and educational staff can positively influence the reduction of educational inequalities. The research posits that this can be achieved through a reinterpretation of their role according to new criteria of authoritativeness (Freire, 1970) and methodological awareness. It is argued that educational communities can function as agents of democratic emancipation, rather than merely as transmitters of dominant cultural codes (Haberman, 1991; Bernstein, 2000; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977). This assertion is supported by the implementation of inclusive policies aimed at mitigating the socioeconomic gap that affects students' academic success and at fostering the critical capacities necessary for informed democratic citizenship. This approach is in line with recent evidence highlighting the urgent need for multidimensional interventions to reduce social exclusion (ISTAT, 2025).

The research adopts a mixed-methods case study approach, drawing on the experience of the "Teate Solidale" project promoted by the Convitto Nazionale "G. B. Vico" in Chieti in collaboration with partner organizations. The project stems from an analysis of the needs, learning difficulties and socioeconomically disadvantaged family backgrounds found in the local catchment area, reflecting the most recent critical issues regarding school dropout in peripheral Italian areas (9.8% in 2024; Openpolis & Con i Bambini, 2025). The intervention was structured around the provision of targeted study support activities for students at risk of dropping out and the development of training programs aimed both at career guidance for students and the enhancement of the pedagogical skills of educational staff.

The findings draw on quantitative data regarding student outcomes, families supported and staff involved, as well as qualitative interviews with staff. Analysis of these data illustrates how the application of such community-based educational models and new pedagogical approaches, when adopted in contexts of democratic deficit, not only improves academic outcomes but also leads to significant benefits in terms of perceived relational well-being. It further enables students to develop collective competencies and critical consciousness (Sen, 1999; Biesta, 2007; Nussbaum, 2010). These findings confirm the effectiveness of 'community education' models, as highlighted by research on extracurricular interventions (Durlak et al., 2010; Save the Children, 2025).

In conclusion, the "Teate Solidale" experience offers a potentially replicable model for other peripheral contexts characterized by limited institutional resources and high socioeconomic inequality, demonstrating that elements such as collaboration between schools and local partner institutions, training educators in critical pedagogy and developing family involvement protocols can be adapted to different socio-territorial conditions. This experience highlights the importance of a systemic approach to ensure the right to education and to counteract social exclusion in vulnerable local contexts, in line with the European goal of reducing early school leaving to below 9% by 2030 (Openpolis, 2025).