Separati a scuola. La segregazione scolastica in Italia

Over the past 20 years, the high concentration of students with low socioeconomic background or ethnic origins in Italian schools has prompted scholars to reflect on the issue of school segregation. Some researchers have begun to identify the key features of this phenomenon, underscoring the need for deeper investigation and the development of targeted policies to address it. School segregation is not only a consequence of structural inequalities but also a driver of the perpetuation of disadvantages. This special issue explores the methodological challenges in studying school segregation in Italy, focusing particularly on the scales of analysis and their implications. It then examines the combined factors contributing to school segregation, including the residential distribution of the population, institutional settings, and the agency of households in school choice. Additionally, it addresses the effects of school segregation on academic achievement and social mobility opportunities, with particular attention to the difficulty of disentangling the various factors influencing educational trajectories (e.g., peer effects, school effects). The overall objective of the special issue is contributing to the knowledge about the phenomenon but also setting the stage for policy-oriented reflections, advocating for a sectorial approach to addressing this issue.