Educational pluralism: the freedom of schools is the freedom of democracy.Sister Anna Monia Alfierireiterates this fundamental concept in Pistoia, at the Bishop’s Seminary.
Public schools and state-recognized private schools are not opposing alternatives, but complementary pillars of the Italian educational system. Defending educational pluralism means defending the freedom of families and the democratic balance of society.
In every liberal democracy, freedom is not measured solely by the ability to express opinions or participate in political life. It is also manifested in the right of families to choose how and where to educate their children. Education is not merely a public service: it is the place where a society shapes its civic, cultural, and moral conscience.
In the current debate on schools and the education of the younger generation, the issue of educational pluralism has returned forcefully to the center of public discourse. In Italy, one of the most authoritative voices on this topic is that of Sister Anna Monia Alfieri, an educationalist, economist, and scholar of educational systems, Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, who has been committed for years to promoting a vision of schooling based on freedom of choice, equity, and society’s educational responsibility.
Speaking on numerous occasions in public forums—including, most recently, in cultural and institutional settings linked to the region of Pistoia—a city with a strong pedagogical tradition and a long-standing focus on issues of childhood and education—Sister Monia has emphasized that educational pluralism is not a privilege reserved for the few, but a fundamental principle of a mature democracy.
For this reason, educational pluralism is one of the most important foundations of an open society. The Italian school system is built precisely on this balance. The Constitution of the Republic, in fact, recognizes two complementary principles. On the one hand, it assigns to the State the task of guaranteeing a public education system accessible to all; on the other, it protects freedom of teaching and the right of institutions and private individuals to establish schools and educational institutions.
Article 33 clearly states that art and science are free, as is their teaching, while Article 34 establishes that schooling is open to all.
This constitutional framework is no accident. The founding fathers were well aware that a genuine democracy cannot be based on an educational monopoly. The State must guarantee education and ensure common quality standards, but it cannot become the sole cultural entity responsible for the education of the younger generations.
Educational pluralism is a guarantee of freedom, not a concession. This is the basis for Law No. 62 of 2000, which defined the national education system as comprising state schools and paritarie schools. Although the latter are managed by private entities, they are full-fledged parts of the public education system when they meet certain quality requirements and follow approved curricula. In other words, the Italian educational system is an integrated system: state-run and state-recognized public schools work together to educate citizens.
Parity schools therefore represent a significant component of educational pluralism. They may arise from secular, cooperative, pedagogical, or religious initiatives. This variety reflects the richness of Italian civil society and allows families to identify educational paths consistent with their own cultural convictions and educational goals. Families’ freedom of choice is not a privilege.
It is a natural consequence of a democratic society. When there is a plurality of educational institutions, parents are not forced to adapt to a single educational model. They can actively participate in their children’s education by choosing among different pedagogical approaches that nonetheless remain within the state’s regulatory framework.
For this reason, the gradual disappearance of paritarie schools would represent an impoverishment of the entire educational system. The closure of these institutions does not concern only the entities that manage them. It affects families, local communities, and the very cultural vitality of the country.
Every school that closes reduces the scope for educational diversity and limits the range of choices. A system consisting exclusively of state schools would, in fact, risk concentrating the entire educational process in the hands of the state. This is not about questioning the value of public state schools, which remain one of the pillars of the Republic.
Rather, it is a matter of recognizing that institutional pluralism is a guarantee of freedom. In a mature democracy, the state does not fear educational diversity: it recognizes it, regulates it, and integrates it. Educational pluralism is therefore a source of richness.
State schools ensure universality and access, while private schools contribute to pedagogical diversity and the participation of civil society. Together, they build a more dynamic, more diverse, and more responsive educational ecosystem… a truly free society does not fear the plurality of ideas and educational models.On the contrary, it considers it a resource.
Defending educational pluralism means defending the freedom of families, the vitality of civil society, and the democratic balance of the country. Because freedom of thought always arises, first and foremost, from freedom of education.
