Emilia Romagna flood, many schools involved. Versari: “The goal is to meet elbow to elbow at school. No Dad generalized”. The indications of the USR

The regional education office for Emilia Romagna has drawn up a note with the first reflections and suggestions for continuing schooling after the floods that hit the region. “The goal to be achieved as soon as possible is to meet again at school, “elbow to elbow”. Therefore, as shared with the Regional Councilor for the Paola Salomoni school, it does not appear appropriate at this stage to resort to generalized forms of integrated or remote digital teaching”.

The general manager Stefano Versari writes it.

The emergency school situations or major criticalities reported – reads the note – are concentrated in the Forlì, Cesena, Faenza, Lugo, Ravenna areas and in the eastern and southern areas (hills and mountains) of the metropolitan area of ​​Bologna. Further in-depth analysis with the managers of state educational institutions was carried out in service conferences on 18 May in the afternoon and on 19 in the morning. Subsequently, from the afternoon of Friday 19 and including Saturday 20 May, further critical issues arose, particularly in the Ravenna area. The data concerning private schools and regional vocational training could not be acquired immediately.

The data as of May 19 are:
– 105 state buildings were affected by the effects of the flood
– 49 state educational institutions have reported critical issues for the resumption of teaching activities
– 58 state educational institutions have reported critical issues for traffic and transport
– 44 educational institutions have reported the destination of part of the premises to displaced persons

The USR then provides a table with the numbers of educational institutions and students involved to varying degrees in the event (in the order of magnitude of 150,000, also estimating private schools and professional training): for closure of educational institutions, suspension of teaching activities , flooding of the complexes or interruptions of the road network.

The problems in returning to school are mainly linked to damage to school buildings and related appurtenances, related to flooding and the resulting effects (currently in different measure, from building to building); road connections with school complexes/locations and mobility (currently relevant in hilly areas); use of school premises for hosting displaced persons (in a residual state).

Today – as Versari underlines – it is still important to go back to school, where possible: “The most useful path to follow – at the time of writing – is therefore to reopen as soon as possible the educational institutions that have not suffered damage, to allow the widest attendance in the presence of students. At the same time identifying the most appropriate methods for personalizing the learning paths of those who find themselves in logistical complexities resulting from the flood“.

E “particular attention will be paid to young people who have suffered the flooding of their homes, with the loss of the contents“.

The problematic situations are many and varied, “problem-situations that concern many students, as well as many teachers and school staff. Therefore, avoid simplistic solutions. There is no single way to solve a thousand problems. Reconnaissance of situations is necessary, to evaluate what and how to do in the given contingency” adds the director.

Regarding the validity of the school year with the relative absences due to force majeure, the USR recalls in order:

the note of 6 February 2012, n. 1513:
“In relation to natural events which led to the loss of class days for the most part of the educational institutions of the region, it is recalled that for consolidated orientation already expressed by this Directorate (see notes prot. 18967 of 11.18.2002 and n.1743 of 2.15.2010), the school year remains valid even if force majeure causes the total to drop below 200 days. Therefore, in the current circumstance, the validity of the school year is not affected, where the exceeding of the threshold established by the school calendar is due to unforeseeable causes e
documented force majeure”.

The note of 7 February 2012, prot. no. 15544 which specified that: “the absences of students attributable to the severe meteorological situation in progress may fall within the exceptions provided for by the aforementioned rules and not jeopardize the
possibility of proceeding with the evaluation of interested students”.

Finally, the note of 22 February 2012, n. 1000: “However, it can happen… that unpredictable and extraordinary events occur (for example serious natural disasters, exceptional atmospheric events) which induce the Mayors to adopt school closure orders. When these situations occur, it must be considered which is in any case without prejudice to the validity of the school year, even if the causes of force major, consisting of unforeseeable and non-programmable events, have resulted, in concrete, the drop of the days of lessons below the limit of 200, as a result of union orders to close schools”.

USE