Waiting for it to end in preschools in Roma Capitale. Pupils with migrant background and distance education

Abstract

The present work is part of a research on organisational and didactic practices related to intercultural education in preschools, with a focus on the municipal schools of Roma Capitale. Here we present an analysis of the documentary material produced by 238 preschools in the 2020 lockdown period (March/June) reporting on distance education activities, aimed to detect presence and quality of references to intercultural education and integration of pupils with a migrant background. Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis of indicators based on relevant literature, it emerges that intercultural perspective is rarely present in the work of schools. There seems to be a lack of explicit attention/action to include pupils with a migrant background, despite the conditions of high risk of educational poverty and marginalization during the pandemic crisis (lack of devices and connection, withdrawal to an exclusively non-Italian-speaking environment etc.). Furthermore, only a small number of schools show attention to mutual enrichment due to valuing differences. While considering the exceptional nature of the pandemic period, it is important to consider these issues while reprogramming the ordinary activity of schools.