Turin University: Immigrant background peer effects in Italian school

The Italian educational system is inclusive: immigrant students are always placed in regular classes (and not in special classes, as occurs in some countries). However, first generation immigrants are frequently held back to the previous grade, and repetitions are much more common among immigrants that among natives. Italy lacks of an institutionalized body of policies aimed at the integration of migrant background children. Interventions – tackling the reduction of achievement gaps between native and immigrant children, programs of language support addressed to first generation immigrants, training for second language teaching, measures promoting parental and community involvement in schools – are fragmented,  and conducted on a voluntary basis by schools and teachers searching for private or local government funds. Notwithstanding the lack of active interventions designed at the national level, the Migrant Integration Policy Index for education for Italy is considered “halfway favorable”, and ranks near the European average...
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