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AUTHOR Federighi, Paolo; Parlavecchia, Giovanni TITLE Answers to Education Problems in Rural . Chapter 8. PUB DATE 94 NOTE 15p.; In: Alpha 94: Literacy and Cultural Development Strategies in Rural Areas; see RC 020 235. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Adult Education; Community Development; Cooperative Programs; Educational Change; Educational Needs; Educational Objectives; *Educational Planning; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; *Information Services; *Library Role; Models; *Public Libraries; *Rural Education; Secondary Education; Users (Information) IDENTIFIERS *Italy

ABSTRACT Since the mid-1980s, the (Italy) regional government, the University of (adult education department), and the Commune of Castelfiorentino have participated in a joint project aimed at narrowing the ever-widening gap between different segments of the Castelfiorentino population with regard to education and culture. The project focuses on the role of the library and has created a local information system that includes a television program on educational, cultural, recreational, and sporting events; a local newspaper started by citizens; air time on the local radio network for discussing local problems and information sharing; and a telephone information service. To increase the number of places where people can find, read, and borrow books, satellite service points have been established at such sites as beauty salons, recreational and cultural centers, hospitals, supermarkets, and schools. In addition, the project has developed a model to address the lack of a public adult education system in Castelfiorentino. The model involves:(1) establishing a planning process that defines educational objectives and addresses resource availability, appropriate methods, and procedures;(2) defining the target clientele; and (3) addressing the scope of application and resources available for training activities. Program evaluation would require assessing skills acquired during training by comparing them with requirements for local socioeconomic development; assessing how well the public was prepared for and given access to new training opportunities; and assessing the degree to which students actively participate in organized community life. (LP)

*******************************************,'**********************;c** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** 'YHA 94

Chapter 8 ANSWERS TO EDUCATION PROBLEMS IN RURAL ITALY Paolo Federighi University of Florence Giovanni Parlavecchia Castelfiorentino Commune Italy

THE LIBRARY IN CASTELFIORENTINO: NO LONGER THE DOMAIN OF A PRIVILEGED FEW U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION C,er e 0,111.0"70 P4934/P. fi 1.100 ,nnvovenlem I 0,B-A IONAl RESOURCES INFORMATION CFNTERIERIC Castelfiorentino is a town with a population of about 20,000 located in the c10: .rnam ,,a5 beer, repeothKeej heart of Tuscany, around 50 km from Florence, and . The surrounding 04 e.ed pe,t1o^ rnaA.rat.o^. 9.gna:ng countryside is dotted by poultry, pig and sheep farms as well as some 40 Me",0, rharges ',eye tXsee made to .mtyove Q,Yety vineyards. Several major industries, in particular clothing, shoes and furniture,

opelonS staled .n lb.s dec. thrive in this region, generating business for 600 firms. Tourism is also expand- m.e.1 .10 no, ,,er AsAa, I, ,emesert oDoal I RI et pale y ing. Since the mid-1980s, the Tuscany regional government, the University of Florence (adult education department) and the Commune of Castelfiorentino participated in a joint project aimed at narrowing the ever-widening gap PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS between different segments of the population with regard to education and MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY culture, focusing on the role of the most important public infrastructure in Castelfiorentino, the library. The Tuscany regional government has redefined and broadened the role of the library in society, identified the conditions needed er\e_114,k.s..es- I r1 to increase access, and tried to determine how the present services could be adapted to meet new needs. TC) THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES The University of Florence, for its part, has been interested in studying and INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" implementing strategies that would enable libraries like the one in Castel- fiorentino to modify and expand their clientele by attracting groups that are

111 BEST COPY AVAI ABLE Education Issues in Rural Italy 113 112ALPI-IA 94 education take countries we like to consider ourequals. Most people who lack facilties, such as workers, youngpeople, house- of "psychological submis- unaccustomed to using these their situation personallyand experience feelings wives, the elderly, and soforth.1 Castelfiorentino, it has helped to focusthese research sion" and "social subordination".2 possibility of As for the CoMmune of Population is not a homogeneousentity and to explore the needs of society and to devise waysof adapting its divide the activities on the educational establishing a relationship betweenpeople and books we have to to satisfy a new type ofclientele. The ultimate goal is to classifica- own cultural structures population into several differentcategories. The simplistic, two-fold where 60% of the town'spopulation has not completed inadequate, since it cope with a situation tion, i.e. those who read andthose who do not read, is totally elementary school. for the frequency with whichthey read.3 We of this joint project was aconference held in holds people solely responsible distributed in Italy. By One of the major initiatives asked have to face the fact that cultural resourcesare unequally Castelfiorentino on education, cultureand information. Participants were will better understand theconditions which and the Public", where the acknowledging this reality, we to consider an actionplan entitled "The Library participation. local information system, playing a moreactive promote or preclude public books are kept." library is the primary link in a Dictionaries often define thelibrary as a "place where conference focused on the measuresthat should be another role in adult education. The Readers are not taken into account.Tullio De Mauro has proposed changes, and was designed toachieve two main objec- Once again, taken to effect future definition, that is, a "place wherebooks are lent or consulted." would enable the the books tives: first, to determinewhat organizational structures however, the emphasis is placed onthe building or room where meet their needs; andsecond, to identify conspic- population of Castelfiorentino to themselves are stored; the readers'needs are secondary. Readers are organizational structures. Whenpeople play a phenomenon that can be which factors create effective uously absent front the his'oryof Italian libraries, a the learning process, they assurethat precedence will be attitude has had a more active role in attributed to the notion that peopledo not have to read. This given to their own needsrather than to those expressedby others. has not libraries alone. The harmful effect on the lower classesof Italian society. The government Upgrading adults' education shouldnot be the concern of where people other services created an efficient public librarysystem, but an "Italian" system people themselves must want tolearn and be informed, while read and where public librarieshave become the existing attitudes and behaviour.It is only then that we have not been encouraged to must strive to modify "private" domain of a privilegedfew. number of adulis enrolled innight school to earn a already use libraries, will see an increase in the able to fulfil their To date, librarians havestudied the needs of those who secondary school leavingcertificate, and libraries will be who never set foot in theseinstitutions. Nor have but have not considered those usually ask function to the fullest. meas- they considered the paradox thatthose most in need of information The conference paved the wayfor future action by defining concrete obtain more. The educa- for less, while those who areleast in need, ask for more and enable the library ofCastelfiorentino to respond to the educational policies. As in Anglo-Saxoncountries, ures that would crucial role played public library is a product of tional needs of the population as awhole, and highlighted the people view their library as a repositoryof written that adults lead a full, meaningfullife. it is extremely important that by education in ensuring knowledge that belongs to all citizens.The absence of a broad-basedideology absence of ordinary where the community identifieswith its library explains the citizens in the library's clientelehistorically.4 The Action Plan books Libraries play an essential role inthe process set in motion the moment and the well- works to the public. "Public" libraries are usuallythe "private" domain of students are written for they areresponsible for distributing these and social life has arrive, shouldn't they seek them outand educated. Improved access toinformation in private, working Instead of waiting for "customers" to the use of books, they need? And if, as De Sanctisand Federighi have produced more opportunitiesfor reading and fostered try to understand what merely a spontaneous phenomenonof child- newspapers, radio andtelevision. written,5 learning to read is not bring about by a person's It was important to adopt anorganized participatory approach to hood and adolescence but the resultof real opportunities provided and shouldn't public libraries join forceswith other changes in adult education, to promotethe social role of cultural structures family and social background, information people needed. political and social structures toeliminate the discrepancies that prevent many to identify the kind of improved, it has Although the average level ofschooling in Italian society has people from entering libraries? communication. Consequently, collection of books, contribute tothe intellec- not kept pace withdevelopments in science and The ideal library can preserve a channels of information and ensure book distributionaccording to needs. people are increasingly outof touch with the various tual development of all people, and our already low of self expression through writtenculture and more and more passivewith regard to the mass media, Also important, is the encouragement European acting as receivers and spectators.6 levels of instruction have fallen evenfurther behind those of other and the transmission of this to those 4 Education Issues in Rural Italy 115 114ALPHA 94

Implementation of theAction Plan In Beauty Salons changes by studying the The owners of certain beauty salons in Casteifiorentino received information Our first task was to pavethe way for the proposed on the library's action plan as well as training on how to present books and population of Castelfiorentino,their reading habits, sociological make-up of the magazines to their customers. It is extremely important to clearly explain the New library services werethen introduced. education, and cultural situation. purpose of satellite service points to the owners since this enables them to more effectively fulfil their role as "intermediaries" between the library and the Creation of a Local InformationSystem public. When setting up the system in a beauty parlour, it is important to select a clearly visible and accessible place for displaying the reading material, to arouse information system in The following steps havebeen taken to set up a local the customer's curiosity. Castelfiorentino: Beauty salons were chosen in the downtown area, the suburbs, and the and placed at the Space has been acquired at thelocal radio and television station outskirts of the town. A total of 16 are now involved in the project, receiving disposal of thetown's variousassociations. some 30 to 50 books every 30 to 40 days. Salon owners are constantly urged to cultural, Permission has been obtained tobroadcast a program on educational, assure that their books are properly displayed, to compile a data bank, to gather recreational and sporting events. criticisms and suggestions and, above all, to make more of an effort to shape and customer preferences, since they are the ones who transmit information from Citizens have started up a local newspaper.Introductory journalism courses training sessions are offered tothe general public. one customer to another. by the local radio networkfor discussing local Air time has been granted the action plan The Library andthe Public. problems and providing information on In Recreationa; and Cultural Centres granted by the local A telephone information servicehas been set up and air time television network. Setting up satellite service points where people can borrow books were chosen for this purpose since they serve as meeting places for the inhabitants of pensioners' trade union helped to set up atelephone Castelfiorentino's suburbs, namely, Cambiano, Castelnuovo d' and Pe- In addition, the Italian phone in to ask information service on workand health in the library. People can trazzi. The opening of these service points has been anxiously awaited by many municipal services, questions, make suggestions,and lodge complaints about people, most of whom have never set foot in the town library. They now have broadcast on the local access on a daily basis to books dealing with a wide range of popular subjects. such as health care. Answers aregiven during a program (The People's Point of View). A continuous supply of books is renewed regularly to respond to specific television network:Dalla parte del cittadino requests or ensure sufficient variety. It is mainly men who use these facilities, although women, mostly housewives or homeworkers, also visit them.to Satellite Service Points pursue specific interests or look for answers to everyday problems. Many users responding more specify that reading is not one of their hobbies and that theyare merely looking We have not only studiedand implemented ways of increased the for a specific piece of information. The ultimate challenge is to persuadepeople effectively to the real needs of thelibrary's new clientele but also This has to read, to discuss and to be more critical in their appraisal. number of places where people canfind, read and borrow books. library The comments made by a pensioner are very significant in this regard. In his involved setting up a number ofsatellite service points, with the town books to those living opinion, the library has brought to Castelnuovo, one of the suburbs of Cas- serving as the main outletmaking it possible to bring public library telfiorentino, the only form of culture the population can ever have. He thanked outside the downtown core orwho are less likely to use the The system could not have beenimplemented the service point for providing him with reading material, saying that people because of their social situation. can never know enough in life, that knowledge is everything. without the help of universitystudents and cultural operators.

In Hospitals

Satellite service points set up in hospitals offer people with physicalor 116ALPHA 94 Education Issues in Rural Italy 117 psychological problems an opportunity to read and thus make better use of their time by developing interests they often ignore in daily life. We also hoped to Other Service Points prevent the other service points established during the project from being perceived as "self-service" centres catering only to the healthy, a situation that Other more "traditional" measures have been taken to promote the new would have perpetuated the kind of discrepancies of our present multi-tiered image of Castelfiorentino's public library. For example, satellite service points society. The relationship between users and service point operators is crucial, where people can read and borrow books have been set up in parks, the helping users to understand that reading is essential to satisfying their cultural favourite meeting place of elderly people. In addition, the standard practice of needs and pursuing their everyday interests. interrupting library service during the summer has been abandoned because many people stay in town. The library's opening hours have a direct impact on the effectiveness of its services. A "book-at-home" program offers the elderly or In the UNICOOP Supermarket those having difficulty getting around, even if only temporarily, the oppor- tunity to order books from the library by telephone. As agreed by the members of this consumers' cooperative, customers may Over the past few years, we have worked to establish a new kind of public borrow books exploring a wide range of subjects as well as other material library, similar to that defined by Filippo De Sanctis shortly before his death. We dealing with problems discussed by INFOCOOP, a touch-sensitive display continue to pursue this objective. De Sanctis described the public library as the system providing information on food, diet, etc. A section of the store, known as cultural and educational heritage of all people and specified that it should the Ecological Isle, is also used for providing customers with information on contribute to the intellectual development of the population as a whole by environmental issues and inviting them to n-.-Ike use of a selective, waste offering coherent, regular services; helping people to overcome difficult situa- disposal system for paper, glass, cans, batteries, medicine, clothing, plastics, tions by assuring they have access to books and other reading material; and so forth. promoting communication through written culture; and ensuring the preserva- tion of books, which are the universal heritage of civilization and the historic In Schools memory of mankind.

An analysis of the relationship between reading and the media provided the point of departure for this part of the project. Our objective was to show how BASIC APPROACHES the public library could be an effective tool for demonstrating that language and images cannot be dissociated from one another, for encouraging people to study One of the crucial problems in Italy is the lack of a public adult education the questions raised by images in greater depth, and to provide a better system. Over the years a broad consensus has emerged on the need to establish understanding of the messages relayed by the media since books usually such a system. One of the objectives of the Castelfiorentino project is to make analyze these questions in more detail. the educational tools available to a large public, and to ensure consistency Prior to setting up service points in schools, students' parents were surveyed through administration at the local level. This administrative function is through questionnaires, meetings and guided tours to identify problems that fulfilled by the communes which, in conjunction with the associations, deter- might have an impact on their children's education both in and out of school. mine the educational and cultural environment of local communities. This The goal was to bring our project to the attention of a wider audience and to help tendency to establish local systems is especially strong in rural areas, in part parents realize that reading is not a sporadic or boring activity restricted to because of the need to use all accessible resources and to make all existing personal or school libraries and finally, that the public library offers services resources available to everyone. geared to the needs of everyone. The students are now making full use of the service points and many adults and parents are now visiting a public reading facility, for the first time in their Strategic Hypotheses life. Some are even playing a role in managing the outlets. This project examines the approaches used to solve current problems. It has a utopian aspect to it, with the possibility of immediately putting in place a framework that can regulate the entire education system and overcome existing differences between various educational and cultural systems and between 118ALPHA 94 Education Issues in Rural Italy 119 locations where educational activities are conducted and thosewhere they are one in Castelfiorentino typically fall into one of the following categories: not. Such a system has the potential to be directedand controlled by the very contextual measures, making it possible and feasible to intervene in the area of public for which it is designed. adult education and which determine the outcomes; The reasons for adopting this approach are not purelyidealistic, however. measures that ensure the operation and implementation of the education system; Italy's educational and cultural system cannot be traAsformedby half-measures, The problems of development measures, which seek to foster conditions allowing for a permanent only a global approach can yield solutions to today's problems. place for adults in the various branches of the educational and cultural system. adult education, library development, local economic developmentand so on cannot be addressed separately. This hypothesisof reorganization of the educa- tion system, serving as a starting point, does not specificallyentail the establish- ment of networks, co-ordination mechanisms or"bridges" between the various Contextual Measures sectors. The elimination of barriers between different stagesin life and between various infrastructures and institutions constitutes anobjective, but not a Contextual measures, which determine the direction, content and feasibility unifying end, serving as a landmark on the road toward a neweducational of educational intervention, fall into one of the following three categories: environment. 1. The planning process, which defines the objectives of educational and cultural capacity of programs; the available resources, the methods to use, the action to be taken and Instead, the key to this approach may lie in increasing the current the procedures to follow. the public to adapt to the transformation of the local education system,the pace of which will be determined by the public itself. Planning is an essential stage in adult education (weare referring here to A second working hypothesis, which is based on other projectsin Italy, deals local policies on adult education, and not to didactic planning) where decisive with involving younger students in the development of adulteducation, es- choices are made. Because this is a relatively new field, this task is often pecially in rural areas, because of the lack of resources and infrastructures.This assigned to technocrats. For example, here are some of the crucial choices that hypothesis is based on the possibility of developing sociallyproductive school must be made and the action that must be taken include determining curricula for solving societal problems with relevancy. Acquit ingand using the target clientele and the type of problems that need to be solved; scientific tools can yield immediate opportunities for assessing,validating or invalidating the objectives, methods and tools selected. This is thus aworking the educational objectives to be achieved; hypothesis, which sees young people not as part of the problem, butrather as a division of responsibilities among the different institutions and parties involved resource for changing education conditions. (associations, businesses, unions, communes and so on); The third hypothesis deals with making cultural institutionsaccessible to the the extent of the resources available and what action is feasible; entire population. Libraries are a good illustration of the situation inrural areas, where they are often the only cultural institutions. Problemswith their opera- the preliminary elements (locations, players and so on); tion are much more serious in areas where the populationis scattered what methods are feasible (in light of the required resources); throughout numerous small villages and there is a lack of practical meansof how the project should be managed and the role of the various local educational communication, funding for culture is limited, and there are nocultural and bodies. library networks that have even the potential of meeting thepopulation's 2. The definition of the subject of the education program, meaning the clienteleon reading requirements. whose behalf the interventions are made. Innovative ways must be found of distributing cultural products(such as books), so that the large number of people who currently do not frequent Using specific measures to define the target clientele makes it possibleto cultural institutions can benefit. A critical analysis must be made to eliminate define the training objectives of the educational and cultural activitiesmore the factors which limit book distribution and prevent these institutionsfrom effectively. It should be stressed that no activities have universal application, truly serving the public. and that the methods and structure selected determine the target clientele. For example, deciding to focus on workers in a given production sector would have obvious consequences for activity planning. In addition, defining the Measures target clientele makes possible the determination of conditions under which they will participate and, eventually define and planmeasures to make educa- The principal measures that characterize the success of projects such as the tion more accessible, in conjunction with cultural institutions, schools, busi-

1 I_ Education Issues in Rural Italy 121 120 ALPHA 94 nesses and so on. possible public Development Measures Defining the primary subjectoi the education program makes of "educational organization and managementmechanisms to implement forms public can participate The social demand for a basic education involves more than just obtaining a negotiation" at the individualand group level, so that the diploma. While a diploma is certainly a legitimate goal, it cannot provide directly in the management ofactivities. sufficient motivation for completing studies at this level. available for training activities. These 3. The scope of application and the resources The demand for training must be seen as an attempt to reintegrate the measures involve: educational and cultural system on a permanent basis. Otherwise, thi: individ- refers to the First, the scope of the plannededucational project. Specifically this ual and public investment in time and money would be wasted. We feel that the workplace and the educationalinstitutions 'inks to be established betweenthrough research projects, forexample) and action is required in the following three areas: (not through practice, but ratherinstitutions involved in the project(ranging from among the various cultural is it possible to acquire realinformation databanks to museums). After all, 1. assessing the skills acquired during training by comparing them with the without databanks, libraries and museums,and without arts-oriented educa- in an economic context in whichthe arts requirements for local socio-economic development. Developing assessment tional activities, which are so important tools to identify training problems faced by participants who have completed and tourism sectors play such alarge role? courses and informal educational activities would prove invaluable for replan- in ning and restructuring the project and would have tremendous advantages for This also refers to the use of basicservices in support of the interventions, all concerned; public particular the following services,indispensable to the Italian project: and re- 2. preparing the public, to give them access to new training opportunities (not only information; assistance and orientation;academic initiation; training by adapting existing eligibility requirements, but also by adapting local in- search for teachers; documentation; frastructures to the educational requirements of the new clientele). This refers of each participant in the education to various educational and cultural institutions in cities and, for secondary second, planning the labour-market entry school graduates, to universities; project and ensuring that these personsbecome real clients of the local education system. This point will beexamined in greater detail later on. 3. making students accountable for participation in organized community life. This aspect is often neglected in the course follow-up stage, but for both strategic and practical reasons, developing abilities and opportunities for participating in organized community life is often the key to preparing people for management, teamwork and innovation. To mention only one of the many functions of such Implementation of Activities participation, one might ask who is better positioned and has more flexibility to meet urgent needs for information than associations? Who should be given the To understand the effects that asystematic approach can have onactivities responsibility of anticipating institutional responses? of implementa- and helping participants, it isuseful to examine the basic stages information and tion that include the pre-coursestage consisting of public of subject of the Public Organization & Development oriPntation activities and havingthe participants adopt the role to make project. A social incentive toeducation is reflected in the measures of Adult Education Research people; education opportunities moreaccessible to workers and small business and leaders in the public information processand Although the working hypotheses focus on the future and how to implement to involve local organizations activities and potential projects, the model that is best suited to meet the objectives and yield to develop future educationopportunities; and tailoring of the desired results is one which examines and creates a virtual future. The basic programs to theparticipants' needs and skills.Educational practices based approach that methods thus consist of research. However, methods that make research a essentially on the teacherlstudentrelationship result only from an approach, sequential process, by separating "before" (the research) from "after" (the is devoid of context and does notmake use of local resources. This problems, transformation, which is generally not a logical result), are not productive. seeks to situate education withinthe context of individual learning for educa- "After", meaning the changes that one wants to bring about and the desire to lack of skills in the local economy;and participants' opportunities environment make those changes, also determines "before", meaning the research methods tional and occupational activitiesdictates that the educational extend well beyond the walls of theclassrooms or workshops of theeducational that are used. The processes of stagnation or development of the subject matter linked to have already begun, evolving negatively or positively, in response to the action institution or vocational training centre.It requires that education be rather ongoing social and economic changesand be based on research methods or inaction of the parties involved. For this reason, at all levels of our work, the key to success lies in the ability of the education system's new clientele to than top-down, non-interactivecommunication techniques.

Li 122 ALPHA 94 recognize the power it has to control anddirect these processes. Enlightened minds often plan "stellar" projectsthat nevertheless turn out to be "astronomical" flops. Research must thereforealways be grounded in educa- tional realities, and designed to give the end usersof projects the conscious ability to control and change the educational process.The issue is thus one of organizing scientifically the process of skilldevelopment and consolidation among the new clientele of theeducation system, in order to redefine collec- tively the system's objectives and relationshipswith workers, the unemployed, cultural institutions, governments and, ultimately,the realities of everyday life. 4 With this in mind, the methods used aredesigned to foster a social frame- work for the desire and need for change, and toprovide solutions to institu- tional, financial, educLtional and other problems.

Notes & References

Bibliography

Cirri, D., Federighi, P. Verso un 2000 educativo[Toward an educational 21st century], Primo rapporto di ricerca [First research report], Prato, 1991.

De Sanctis, Filippo M. Verso un 2000 educativo, Prato, 1988.

Orefice, P., Sarracino, V. Ente locale et formazione [Localorganization and training], Naples. Liguori, 1988. Parlavecchia, G., Tarchiani, G. Nuot.o pubblico et biblioteca [The newpublic and libraries], Milan. La bibliografica, 1991.

Scaglioso, C., Cate Ili, G. Educazione permanente e rea/tà locali[Continuing education and local realities], Milan, Angell, 1985. Operatori culturati nei paesi dell'arco alpino [Cultural bodies of countriesin the Alpine chain), Bolzano, Bolzano autonomous region, 1992. Bulzoni, 1981, p. 150. 1. Filippo De Sanctis and Paolo Federighi, Pubblico e biblioteca, Rome: Firenzi/Cornune di 2. Filippo De Sanctis, Verso un'doemila educattvo, Universith degli studi di Prato, 1988, p. 15.

3. Filippo De Sanctis, op. cit, p.23. dei servizi 4. Armando Petrucci, Per un centro studi a sostegno rnetodologico degli operatori bibliotecari, in Verso una biblioteca del pubbhco, Bibliografica, 1991, p. 38-46.

5. op. cit., p. 63. bthhoteco, in Verso una 6. Paolo Federighi, Per lo sviluppo dei rapporti tra -nuovo" pubblico e biblioteca del pubblico, op. cit,, p. 31.

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