Here are the tutor teachers in schools. The Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara in an interview with La Stampa explains that he considers it “the first major reform” launched by his ministry, “the first application of the principle of merit” because it “realizes one of the great challenges of merit which leads to valuing talents, to valuing commitment, and also to valuing training courses”.
“I really wanted this innovation – explains – I had written about it in my book “It’s Italy we want” and it is anticipated in the guidelines, but I want it to be built through dialogue with the trade unions”.
According to the model devised by the minister, tutor teachers “they will have the task of following the pupils and combating early school leaving, which in Italy is among the highest in Europe”. They will not be superior teachers to the others.
“The tutor will not be a hierarchically superior colleague – assures the minister – but a colleague who will work in a team logic and will have to take care of the coordination of teaching customization strategies. The tutors will have the task of taking charge of the recovery of those children who have more difficulties or those who are bored in class because they are more advanced in learning and need to speed up. The tutor teachers, in their action, will compare themselves with the colleagues of the various class groups”.
“We have already figured out how much and how to pay, but all of this will be the subject of a discussion with the unions – explains the minister – Training will also be important, particularly in the psychological and pedagogical fields, for tutor teachers. It is obvious, therefore, that they will be paid more having a higher training and also having an additional activity compared to that of the other colleagues. The professors will join on a voluntary basis, they will attend training courses which will be free for teachers, the expense will be borne by the ministry”.
The tutor teacher is a precious weapon against school dispersion
On Radio 24, last Friday, the Minister of Education and Merit had added: “The tutor teachers will have additional tasks and will have to be trained above all in the psychological and pedagogical fields. We have talked about it with the unions and we are discussing with them to understand how best to structure this new organizational model”.
the tutor, “who will not be a hierarchically superior colleague but a colleague who will work in a team logic”will have to “to take care of coordinating the personalization of teaching and above all to take care of those kids who have more difficulties or those who get bored in the classroom because they are so advanced in learning that they need to speed up”.
For Valditara the figure of the teacher-tutor will also be a precious weapon “to address the issue of early school leaving, given that Italy has one of the highest rates in Europe”.
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