Race and Class in Educational Inequality in Italy: What Role Do Teachers Play?

The paper argues the relevance of studying racism in education in Italy. Structural and institutional racism are difficult to monitor and counter effectively when there is a lack of official data and specific analysis. Educational inequalities affecting students with a migrant background need to be studied by paying attention to race and class. Our literature review examined “school choice” policies, which, rooted in neoliberal market ideologies, have deepened inequalities, privileging market-driven competition and favoring socially advantaged schools and families. This exploratory study in Veneto contributes to the Italian debate on ‘downward orientation’ (Romito 2016; 2024), questioning teachers’ roles, experiences, and views on school orientation for migrant-background students. Do class and race (not) matter in their approach? On the one hand, the research has shown teachers’ prejudices against racialised students as non-white/non-legitimated Italians. Teachers therefore contribute, often unintentionally, to the racialisation of education. On the other hand, teachers also act as the last bulwark against inequalities, often voluntarily supporting disadvantaged students in navigating school orientation and fostering opportunities for upward social mobility. The role of teachers is relevant and ambivalent. Further research needs to be done to include a broader sample at a national and European level.