Don Lorenzo Milani and his school. The problems and perspectives of education in the “Lettera a una professoressa”

Abstract

The article deals with a historical-pedagogical analysis concerning the previous and following years the publication of Lettera a una professoressa, by observing the context and some phenomena with essential elements. Specifically, detailed references are reminded in order to clarify the thought and the work of the prior of Barbiana. The social, economic and political contradictions of the post-war period that reflect in the Italian school education emerge: the class-oriented structure of society, the marks used for selective and justicialist purposes, early school dispersal. Only from the 70s, after the teaching of Latin was removed from secondary school, 1968 and free access to University, education becomes a common good, by bringing about the principles of the Constitution. The close analysis of Don Milani still catches the motivation to give due considerations for education in general, for integration processes and of “I Care” of which the current social context is greatly necessary with its various “emergences”: the importance of language, the dedication to foster self-esteem processes, the choice for the tutoring technique and of cooperative-learning. Based on a visionary ideal of cooperative and tolerant society, the Don Milani method proposes a new humanism by turning into a leading school model. The article includes significant conclusions from the Lettera for educational topicality, for the issues it calls and for the solutions it requires, first of all the pedagogical-social demand of a school for all and everyone which avoids “to make equal parts among unequal”.