The Roads Not Taken. Legislative proposals and cultures of inclusion in italian schools (1971–1977)

Abstract

This article explores a selection of major legislative bills and proposals discussed in Italy between Law 118/1971 and Law 517/1977 concerning the schooling of pupils with disabilities. Drawing on a qualitative documentary analysis of primary parliamentary sources, the study examines three interrelated dimensions: the educational paradigms underpinning the legislative texts, the relationship between school and local support services, and the positions adopted towards special classes and special schools. The comparative analysis of the Ossicini and Seroni bills, the popular initiative proposal, and the Lodi Faustini proposal shows that, before Law 517/1977, school integration was already the object of advanced and differentiated elaborations, reflecting distinct cultures of inclusion and different ways of framing the right to education. From this perspective, the lack of legislative approval of these initiatives is not interpreted as a sign of their historical marginality. Rather, it helps explain why the Falcucci Report proved more institutionally viable: its strength lay in its ability to mediate among pedagogical, clinical, and administrative perspectives within a framework capable of supporting a broader and more practicable transition towards inclusive schooling in Italy.