A story of “bureaucratic barriers” whose protagonist is Alisea, a blind student who attends the fifth year of the “Stefano Patrizi” scientific high school in Cariati (Cosenza) whose support teacher does not know the Braille language.
The deputy group leader of the 5 Star Movement in the Chamber, Vittoria Baldino, announced the presentation of a parliamentary question to the Minister of Education regarding the matter. «I appeal to the Minister of Education, the Regional School Office for Calabria and the manager of the Cariati comprehensive institute – states the parliamentarian – to intervene urgently to protect Alisea’s right to education and full school integration . It is essential that educational institutions assume their responsibilities by guaranteeing every student an education that is accessible and inclusive. For this reason, in the next few days I will file a parliamentary question and a formal request for intervention to the bodies concerned so that the young Alisea, a student at Cariati, who is blind due to retinopathy, is guaranteed a support teacher specialized in the use of the Braille language”.
«It is unacceptable – says Baldino – that, in an Italian public school, a pupil with a visual disability has to face serious learning difficulties due to the failure to assign a support teacher specialized in the Braille language. It is unacceptable that educational institutions decide in contrast with the provisions of the well-known ruling of the Council of State n. 5851/18. The Council of State has in fact reiterated that, if a teacher with the necessary skills is not present in the ranking, the educational institution has the obligation to resort to alternative solutions to guarantee specialist support, so as not to cause damage to school education. of the pupil. In order to be considered a valid presence, therefore not useless, suitable for promoting the integration and inclusion of the disabled person in the school context, the support teacher must be equipped with the technical knowledge necessary to face and manage the handicap faced with finds himself working.”
«I strongly ask that Alisea’s right to have an education equal to that of his classmates be respected – concludes Baldino – because no student must be left behind or hindered by bureaucratic decisions and institutional failures».