Unveiling the Challenges in the Implementation of Article 24 CRPD on the Right to Inclusive Education. A Case-Study from Italy
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. The Right to Inclusive Education in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2.1. Inclusive Education in Article 24 CRPD
- (a)
- A fundamental human right of all learners. Notably, education is the right of the individual learner and not, in the case of children, the right of a parent or caregiver. Parental responsibilities in this regard are subordinate to the rights of the child;
- (b)
- A principle that values the well-being of all students, respects their inherent dignity and autonomy, and acknowledges individuals’ requirements and their ability to effectively be included in and contribute to society;
- (c)
- A means of realizing other human rights. It is the primary means by which persons with disabilities can lift themselves out of poverty, obtain the means to participate fully in their communities and be safeguarded from exploitation. It is also the primary means of achieving inclusive societies;
- (d)
- The result of a process of continuing and proactive commitment to eliminating barriers impeding the right to education, together with changes to culture, policy and practice of regular schools to accommodate and effectively include all students.
2.2. Overview of the Obligations of States Parties under Article 24 CRPD
States parties must invest in and support the recruitment and continuous education of teachers with disabilities. This includes removing any legislative or policy barriers requiring candidates to fulfil specific medical eligibility criteria and the provision of reasonable accommodations for their participation as teachers. Their presence will serve to promote equal rights for persons with disabilities to enter the teaching profession, bring unique expertise and skills into learning environments, contribute to breaking down barriers and serve as important role models.
3. The Right to Education of Persons with Disabilities in Italy: Overview of the Legal Framework
3.1. The Constitutional Framework
3.2. The Right to Education of Students with Disabilities in National Legislation
4. Italian Educational Policies in a Nutshell and Their (Challenging) Implementation
5. The Reform of the Educational System and Inclusive Education: A Step Change?
5.1. Law No. 107/2015 and Inclusive Education
5.2. Legislative Decree No. 66/2017 on the Promotion of School Inclusion for Students with Disabilities: Lights and Shadows
6. Concluding Remarks
Conflicts of Interest
References
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1 | Law of 3 March 2009 No 18 ‘Ratifica ed esecuzione della Convenzione delle Nazioni Unite sui diritti delle persone con disabilità, con Protocollo opzionale, fatta a New York il 13 dicembre 2006 e istituzione dell’Osservatorio nazionale sulla condizione delle persone con disabilità’ in Gazzetta Ufficiale (OJ) of 14 March 2009 No 6. |
2 | The Renzi reform is the latest (and probably the most ambitious) of a series of reforms of the educational system that have been launched since the late ‘1990s. An account of these reforms until 2011 has been traced by Grimaldi and Serpieri (2012). |
3 | In OJ of 15 July 2015 No 162. |
4 | In OJ of 16 May 2017 No. 122. |
5 | Article 3 enunciates the Convention’s general principles, which include: respect for individual dignity, autonomy, and independence; respect for difference and acceptance of disability as human diversity; non-discrimination; equal opportunity; complete and meaningful participation; accessibility; gender equality; and respect for children’s rights and support for their evolving capabilities. |
6 | Article 30 CRPD, which provides the right of persons with disabilities to participate in cultural life, requires Parties to the Convention to take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to cultural materials, television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities, but also to places for cultural performances or services, monuments and sites. This Article provides for recognition and support of specific cultural and linguistic identity of persons with disabilities, including sign languages and deaf culture (for further discussion see (Ferri 2014)). |
7 | The English translation of the Italian Constitution is published by the Parliamentary Information, Archives and Publications Office of the Senate Service for Official Reports and Communication and can be found at http://www.senato.it/documenti/repository/istituzione/costituzione_inglese.pdf (accessed on 1 September 2017). |
8 | This Article must be read in conjunction with Article 33(3) IC that affirms that ‘[t]he Republic lays down general rules for education’. |
9 | Italian Constitutional Court, Judgment No 200/2009. |
10 | In addition, Art 117(1)(m) IC empowers the State to determine ‘the basic level of benefits relating to civil and social entitlements to be guaranteed throughout the national territory’. The latter competence is aimed at ensuring equality of treatment among users who benefit from the educational services (and more generally social services) across the national territory. Such a cross-cutting national competence implies that whenever a regional law provides for benefits related to social rights (including the right to education), it must be subordinated to the national law that establishes the minimum standards with regard to those rights. |
11 | Law of 30 March 1971 No. 118, ‘Conversione in legge del D.L. 30 gennaio 1971 n. 5 e nuove norme in favore dei mutilati ed invalidi civili’ in OJ 2 April 1971 No 82. |
12 | Law of 4 August 1977 No 517 ‘Norme sulla valutazione degli alunni e sull'abolizione degli esami di riparazione nonché altre norme di modifica dell'ordinamento scolastico’ in OJ 18 August 1977 No 224. |
13 | Law of 5 February 1992 No 104, ‘Legge-quadro per l’assistenza, l’integrazione sociale e i diritti delle persone handicappate’ in OJ 17 February 1992 No 39. |
14 | This article will use the Italian acronym PEI in subsequent sections, as the acronym is commonly used in Italian scholarship on the topic. |
15 | Support teachers are qualified teachers who must also obtain further specialized postgraduate training, the requirements of which are established in various bylaws, mainly ministerial decrees. |
16 | Law of 8 October 2010 No 170 ‘Nuove norme in materia di disturbi specifici di apprendimento in ambito scolastico’ in OJ 18 October 2010 No 244. |
17 | Law of 28 March 2003 No 53 ‘Delega al Governo per la definizione delle norme generali sull’istruzione e dei livelli essenziali delle prestazioni in materia di istruzione e di formazione professionale’ in OJ 2 April 2003 No 77. |
18 | Namely Art 2 paras 413 and 414 of the Law 24 December 2007 No 244 in OJ 28 December 2007 No 285. |
19 | Italian Constitutional Court, Judgment No 275/2016. |
20 | These principles are established in the Italian Constitution. The principle of autonomy of schools is implemented by means of the Decree of the President of the Republic No 275 of 8 March 1999 in OJ 10 August 1999 No 186 providing schools with didactic, organisational and research autonomy. |
21 | Ministero dell’Istruzione, Prot.n 4274. |
22 | The Italian National Observatory on the Situation of Persons with Disabilities (Osservatorio Nazionale sulla condizione delle persone con disabilità) was created in order to implement Article 33(2) CRPD. It was meant to constitute the independent mechanism, but is organisationally placed within the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, which finances it, and is chaired by the Ministry. It includes representatives of various ministries, including the MIUR, local authorities, Social Security Institutions, the National Statistics Institute, social partners (trade unions and industry organisations), as well as independent experts and DPOs. While it has monitoring tasks, the National Observatory is also a consultative body in charge of technical support for the elaboration and supervision of national disability policies. It promotes the implementation of the Convention, and prepares cross-cutting biannual action plans for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities across the whole range of policies, with a view to achieving the objectives established by the CRPD and by the European Disability Strategy. The First Bi-annual Action Plan on Disability was adopted by the National Observatory in 2013 (Decree of the President of the Republic of 4 October 2013 ‘Programma di azione biennale per la promozione dei diritti e l'integrazione delle persone con disabilita’ OJ 28 December 2013 No 303). |
23 | Decree of the President of the Republic of 4 October 2013 ‘Programma di azione biennale per la promozione dei diritti e l'integrazione delle persone con disabilita’ OJ 28 December 2013 No 303. |
24 | E.g., TAR Lombardia, Sez. 3, No 1895/2014. |
25 | E.g., TAR Calabria, Sez. 3, No 831/2011. |
26 | Article 76 of the Italian Constitution allows the Government to exercise legislative functions only when delegated by Parliament for a limited time and for specified purposes. The Parliament delegates to the Government the exercise of legislative functions through a delegation law that establishes the principles and criteria that the Government must follow and comply with when exercising the legislative function. The delegation law empowers the Government to adopt one or more legislative decrees, which are deliberated upon by the Council of Ministers. |
27 | It is important to note that the La 104/1992 remains the cornerstone of Italian disability law and policy, and the point of reference for any legislative reform which touches upon the rights of persons with disabilities. |
28 | See supra Section 2. |
29 | See above Section 4. |
30 | The bill was approved on the 3rd of October 2017 by the Italian Senate, is now under the examination of the Chamber of Deputies. |
31 | Law decree 28 June 2013 No. 76, OJ No 150 of 28 June 2013, then converted into Law 9 August 2013, No. 99, G.U. of 22 August 2013, No. 196, concerning ‘Preliminary Urgent Measures for the promotion of employment, in particular of youngsters, of social cohesion and on and other Urgent financial measures’. |
32 | Commission v Italy, Case C-312/11, 4 July 2013, not yet published. |
33 | It also doubtful that Article 1(24) could survive a constitutional review if a case is brought, as the ICC has so far been quite clear in stating that financial constraints cannot be used as an excuse to undermine the enjoyment of the fundamental right to education. |
34 | See above Section 2. |
35 | Law of 8 November 2000 No 328 ‘Legge quadro per la realizzazione del sistema integrato di interventi e servizi sociali’ in G.U. of 13 November 2000 No 265. |
36 | In this respect, Decree No 66/2017 has also intervened to amend Article 14, which, in its revised formulation, establishes that the “Individual Project” includes the care and rehabilitation services provided by the National Health Service, the Individual Education Plan provided by the school institutions, the personal services provided by the local municipality, as well as the economic allowances designed to overcome situations poverty, marginalization and social exclusion. See also Article 6 of Decree No. 66/2017. |
37 | Article 6 “Women with disabilities” reads as follows: “1. States Parties recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination, and in this regard shall take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the present Convention”. |
38 | The draft text originally included an obligation on support teachers to remain within the role for ten years. The provision raised harsh criticism because, ex littera lege, the provision obliged teachers to stay in the support role, but not to remain in the same school or institution, thus being unuseful to ensure continuity of education and unduly forcing teachers to remain in a role. The final text removed this provision. |
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Ferri, D. Unveiling the Challenges in the Implementation of Article 24 CRPD on the Right to Inclusive Education. A Case-Study from Italy. Laws 2018, 7, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws7010001
Ferri D. Unveiling the Challenges in the Implementation of Article 24 CRPD on the Right to Inclusive Education. A Case-Study from Italy. Laws. 2018; 7(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws7010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleFerri, Delia. 2018. "Unveiling the Challenges in the Implementation of Article 24 CRPD on the Right to Inclusive Education. A Case-Study from Italy" Laws 7, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws7010001