You're in Conduct: The Symbol of Adult Educational Confusion

"We are thus sending a strong and clear signal: respect for individuals and institutions is essential in Italian schools." With these words, the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara , announced the final approval, on July 30, of the implementing regulations for Law 150 of October 1, 2024 , the law that profoundly reformed conduct grading in Italian schools.

Starting in September, the conduct grade will be essential for admission to the next grade in secondary school . Students must obtain a grade of at least 7 out of 10 in the final exam. If the conduct grade is 6 or higher, automatic admission will not be granted: the grade will be suspended, and students will be required to submit a paper on active citizenship, explaining the reasons for the grade.

"I taught for twenty years in schools on the outskirts of Palermo, and I can say with absolute certainty that everything regarding behavior grades and disciplinary sanctions, when applied to so-called 'difficult' or 'at-risk' children—young people who exhibit transgressive behavior, sometimes even bordering on deviance—doesn't work." This is according to Valentina Chinnici , president of the Teachers' Democratic Initiative Center (Cidi) , an association that, since 1972, has brought together teachers of all levels and disciplines, with the aim of contributing to the creation of a democratic school, better equipped culturally and more responsive to the interests of girls and boys.

" These measures don't produce improvements; on the contrary, they exacerbate conflict, harden behavior, and solidify deviance ," Chinnici emphasizes, adding: "If the law's goal is to strengthen teachers' authority or reduce violence and aggression in school, I can say, from firsthand experience, that this is not the right path." According to Cidi President, the most oppositional students " respond much better to 'credits of trust.' This means that when they feel the teacher believes in them, they change their attitude. But if they feel challenged in terms of punishment, of authority imposed from above, they don't react as one would hope . In fact, they don't recognize that form of authority. These students are often convinced they can't cope. And so, in self-defense, they knock over the desk or throw their notebooks."

If the law's goal is to strengthen teachers' authority or reduce violence and aggression in schools, I can say, from personal experience, that this is not the right path. Students respond much better to "credits of trust."

Valentina Chinnici, president of the Cidi

According to educationalist Daniele Novara , one of the risks of the new measures is an increase in school dropouts , particularly among male students, who are already more vulnerable to dropping out. According to 2023 Istat data, the share of 18-24 year-olds with at most a lower secondary education and no longer in education or training is 10.5%. Dropouts are more common among boys (13.1%) than girls (7.6%). Novara points out that "we are among the European countries with the fewest graduates, along with Romania. The current school system is especially failing to retain boys. Today, two out of three graduates are female, a figure that masks a significant gender divide."

Furthermore, he adds, "Science, from neuroscience to social psychology, clearly tells us that methods based on 'mortification' are not effective . When considering the possibility of failing a student, it's important to understand that excluding a child from his or her class as a 'punishment' for bad behavior doesn't generate learning, but only rejection."

More content, less method: the education that awaits our children

It's a bit like treating the school environment like a sports environment, turning it into a win-or-lose competition. Instead, according to Novara, it's important that "school is a learning community where even the most struggling kids can be included. Kids, especially in adolescence, develop a reaction of rejection toward an institution that rejects them. School thus risks losing its educational role and turning into a place of punishment."

Children, especially during adolescence, develop a reaction of rejection toward an institution that rejects them. School thus risks losing its educational role and turning into a place of punishment.

Daniele Novara, pedagogue

Although there seems to be broad consensus today, at least on an emotional level, toward repressive solutions, these responses speak more to the gut of public opinion than to its rational side. After all, it's much easier to arouse punitive instincts than to build a truly shared educational vision.

But Noventa clarifies: " Be careful, we mustn't give up authority: we must rethink it . Today's kids are growing up in a completely different environment than their parents and teachers, dominated by digital devices, social networks, lack of sleep, and social isolation. It's clear that they struggle to concentrate. In this scenario, we can't impose a twentieth-century educational model on twenty-first-century kids. We need an educational community that supports and guides them, but also sets clear and shared boundaries. Setting limits doesn't mean punishing, but providing a clear framework in which to grow."

Caution: authority shouldn't be given up; it needs to be rethought. Setting limits isn't about punishing, but about providing a clear framework for growth.

Daniele Novara, pedagogue

A strong connection between school and family is essential because, Novara explains, "if a child only sleeps five or six hours a night, perhaps because of video games, it's logical that they'll be distracted at school. Parents need support in understanding how to manage their children's sleep, device use, and social interaction. School alone can't compensate for all educational shortcomings, nor can it become a 'military garrison' of rigor ."

Therefore, school must be a place of collaboration, group activities, and shared learning, "not just lectures, studying, and tests," because this type of approach is "archaic and ineffective," says Novara. He explains: " When we increase cooperative work, social interaction, and peer interaction, even the most struggling kids find motivation and belonging. This is how we prevent failure, not through the threat of failing . Parents, for their part, must assume educational responsibility and supervise their children's development while they are minors, with rules, shared time, and involvement."

Finally, it's worth recalling a fact that emerged on December 12th, during the presentation of the National Day of Education and Prevention against Violence against School Staff, when Minister Valditara met with a representative of school principals, teachers, and ATA staff. It emerged that in the 2023-2024 school year, 68 cases of assault against school staff were recorded. Of these, 33 were committed by family members of students, 31 by the students themselves, 4 by strangers, and in one case the perpetrator remained unknown .

The data shows how necessary it is to initiate a deep and coherent reflection on how we adults can improve our role as guides and support : discipline cannot be limited to a simple sanction, but must be part of a shared educational path , which takes into account the difficulties and changes in the context in which young people grow up and above all in which we adults are examples to be followed rather than adults who punish.

Opening ceremony, the first day of school at the Buonarroti State Technical and Commercial Institute in Arezzo. Photo by Daiano Cristini/Sintesi