Learning how to cope with the “post-autonomy” school system

Abstract

The principles of autonomy and decentralization have been introduced in the Italian educational system by the Bassanini Law No. 59/1997 and the Regulation on Autonomy, DPR 275/99. This resulted in a conceptual and organizational restoration of school management, of syllabi and of the educational system as a whole. This paper proposes an analysis of the institutional setups
and new professional models introduced by the regulation on school autonomy, and it is aimed at offering a critical review of the actual implementation of such innovations. In particular, investigation will try to provide understanding of the reason why the present professional profile of teachers and the traditional educational set-up are at risk of not meeting the demands
of today’s educational system. In conclusion, a number of innovative proposals will be analysed in the field of teachers training, thus opening the possibility of interesting intervention perspectives as far as the issues which have been pointed out are concerned.