Inclusive education in Italy. A case study

Historically speaking, the origin of the inclusive education model in Italy could be traced back to the promulgation of the Italian Constitution in 1948. Many years later, in 1977, the Parliament approved an important piece of legislation known as integrazione scolastica: according to this policy, all students can be enrolled in public schools regardless of any physical or mental impairment. As a result, the Italian policy context seems to create an ideal situation for the development of inclusive education and of a human rights approach to education. Does such perception correspond to reality? Our paper will briefly outline the historical evolution of the Italian model of inclusive education and present its current state of development. Clearly, inclusion works in reality not only as a result of legislation and procedures, but also depending on the will, dedication and investment of each school institution, on the context in which it operates, on the competence and motivation of its teachers and staff. In our paper we chose to present the case study of a vocational high school in Rome, considered a best practice at the local and national level for the success of its inclusion projects. After describing the environment and the challenges faced from the viewpoint of integrazione scolastica, we will try to emphasize its peculiarities and to highlight the factors and managerial choices that, in our view, contribute to the excellent results of this institution in the area of inclusion.