Out of Sight. The presence and marginalization of preschool in the SelfEvaluation Reports of comprehensive schools in the Veneto Region

Abstract

This paper analyses the presence of preschool education in the Self-Evaluation Reports (RAV) of Comprehensive Schools in the Veneto region during the 2022–2025 triennium. Starting from the hypothesis that this educational level remains marginal in self-evaluation processes, 292 RAVs from comprehensive schools including at least one preschool, were examined through a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach. The results paint a critical picture: only 34.5% of the documents explicitly mention preschool education within the evaluative sections, and merely 13.7% of the total present detailed, in-depth references. The analysis reveals a significant gap between the pedagogical recognition of preschool’s value and its concrete integration into institutional processes. The findings point to the need for a cultural rethinking of its role, through targeted training investments and a renewed recognition of its foundational function within the vertical curriculum.