The Expansion of Lower Secondary School in Italy in the 1960s. Modernisation and Drawbacks

The paper explores the expansion of the lower secondary school in Italy in the 1960s. In 1962 all lower secondary schools were eventually unified, with all subject teachers holding a degree. The elementary school teachers and their associations lost their battle to teach in these schools: in place of a postelementary school, the model of a lower secondary school with more qualified teachers was chosen. However, whilst the “Scuola media unica” represented a significant step towards a more qualified and democratic school, which welcomed children from all social classes, at the same time it did not immediately fulfil its aims.