April 10 2008: 13! 13 Going on Nothing.
On the 10th of April, 13 years ago, the Minister of Public Education released the 126th newsletter to all Italian schools, 40 pages worth of newsletter which, amongst other things, stated: "Esperanto teaches the structure towards peace, it contributes to preserving linguistic diversity and European culture around the world. it consesnts transnational, cultural and commmercial communicatins in a single language, without discrimination, it’s easy, taught as Language Orientation, the Study and Learning of Foreign National Languages: it avoids the dominance of two major foreign languages in the world of education; it enriches metalinguistic contemplation on one’s mother tongue; it allows a noticeable difference in time and expenses for what concerns both preperation for teachers as well as for learners, and offers advantages in other aspects of studying as well."
After 13 years, none of the above perogatives of the national language have been applied. There has been no follow-up to the suggestions that were so well-defined (http://www.internacialingvo.org/public/126_plena.htm ). Instead of working towards putting an international language on the public international field, we now have the opposite, an international language, English, which favours the private monopolization of a foreign language and is notorious for destroying other languages: just look at how Italian is losing its function, in a way that higher education is being overpowered more and more by University degrees that are taught exclusively i English and employment is being handed to English mother tongues.
The "Esperanto" Radical Association will meet on the past and the pending situation, at 18.00 in front of the Ministry of Public Education at Viale Trastevere 76A. Below there is a sample of the event that will take place.
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2. There are two possibilities to be used in order to answer to the international language problem in Italian schools: Esperanto as a "final" solution,in othewords as the language for authentic international communication; the international language as a means, or, in otherwords, as an appropriate language-teaching tool.
In addition to making these school issues known via the Ministerial Newsletter (attached to this document), adressed to General Managements, Inspectors, Supervisors, Education Superintendents, and finally the heads of Institutes, the IRRSAE, the CEDE, the Pedagogical Library of Archives, all which would appear eager to add the International language to the other 4 langugaes currently taught in elementary school.
2. Without any legal modifications or extra expenses, in light if the elementary school reforms it is possible, immediately, thanks to the Ministerial decree, to add an the International language (called Esperanto) to the 4 languages currentlytaught in the elementary schools, so that the following opportunities could arise:
– The creation of an infromation pamphlet on the international language, with the collabortaion of the organizations and/or the Public Education previously mentioned.
– Education concerning trainning courses in the Esperanto language course for elementary education, based on the same models used by teachers in order to teach other foreign languages.
2.2. Furthermore, it goes unsaid that, in the different layers of school education, an uncountable number of information initiatives, studies, experiments, promotion, trainin, etc. Fotr example, the Ministry could A) launche experimental languages and promote them within the European Union during the next presidential semester of the Italian Union:
– the P.I Minister should inform this Relationship between the languages on a European and international level, starting with the ministers themselves;
– Suggs experiminetal initiatives in the EU countires, keeping in mind the various different education systems;
B) organize seminars on the research and updates currently taking place in the first and second degree Junior-High schools.
C) An international exchange project could be set up with the help of competent Organizations and Esperanto organizations.
D) Gain, within the Directorate General for Elementary Education, all the required information on the Paderbon method and later hold two seminars for inspectors and L2 Elementary teachers, in order to update on stufy progree, arranged, if possible, with the Cybernetics Institute of Education, the University of Paderborn and in the presence of Prof. H. Frank;
E) Launch an initiative to monitor and see, with what results, how long an elementary teacher requires to learn the International language and re-teach successfully;
F) Promote the use of the International language’s different factors and the importance of intercultural values, using specific ministerial projects such as the Progetto Ragazzi and Progetto Giovani or agree to co-operate with an Esperantist. It’s a funny coincidence that the Minister sends his observers to conferences and demonstrations whenever the International language is an object of debate: Esperanto centers, conventions, congresses and national and international demonstrations.