Ei-iE

With many missing and over 200 reported dead, trade unions in Italy are taking action to provide first help and ensure the recovery of the communities hit by the devastating earthquake.

Education International (EI) has extended its condolences to its member organisations in Italy for the huge loss of life in the earthquake in Amatrice this week. Many of the victims were children, as the villages concerned were frequented by Italian families, especially from Rome, on holiday in the month of August, when schools are closed.

In addition many of the schools in the area, and roads and other essential infrastructure, have been devastated by the quake. This will prevent many of the children, who survived the earthquake, from returning to their old schools in September. EI has supported a call from the EI Italian member organisations to the Italian government to take steps immediately to ensure that children and their teachers have alternative education facilities provided in order to reduce the disruption to their lives.

The general secretaries of unions Scuola FLC CGIL, CISL Scuola, UIL Scuola and Snals Confsal have sent a joint request to the Minister of Education of Italy to urgently intervene in the affected region. The statement asks the authorities to adjust the conditions regarding school personnel in areas affected by the earthquake, taking all measures necessary to ensure a smooth start of the next school term. The organisations also call on the Minister of Education to adopt a flexible approach to the assignment of staff to the area in order to facilitate an early resumption of schooling.

"In view of the serious difficulties that we are going through” the statement reads “in the areas affected by the quake all measures necessary should be taken to ensure a smooth start of the school year. "