The numbers in Italy speak clearly and make noise: 59,138 total cases, 46,638 infected, only 7,024 healed, 5,476 deaths.

We are worried, but our work and our commitment continue, it adapts and shapes itself to the increasingly frequent decrees of the Conte government. Due to the rapid spread of Covid-19, and to the consequent declaration by the WHO of the of Pandemic state, the Italian Government has correctly and drastically limited the freedom of movement for all of us, has imposed the drastic closure of all no-essential activities, and suspended in all schools in the national territory to protect the health of workers, students and their families.

It is also easy to note that the same sensitivity of the Italian Government is not found in the Governments of many other countries in Europe and in the world, which continue to not show the same Italian awareness of the danger that Covid-19 poses to human health. What is happening is dramatic, and with bitterness, in our hearts, we are witnessing the negligence of these countries that have not yet taken the necessary measures to prevent the spread, contagions and deaths.

But what are we doing, as a union?

We are active supporters of the #iorestoacasa motto (#Istayathome), but we do not abandon our greatest vocation: defending the workers of the school sector, their protection and their rights.

Despite the lockdown and the closure to the public, of all the trade union’s offices in the area, the national and territorial telephone and telematic consultancy services remain active: a great challenge all in smart working, for our Trade Union that does not stop and always wishes to write new pages in the history of the protection of workers’ rights, in the time of the Coronavirus.

In the recent extension of the measures for the red areas to the whole national territory, after the umpteenth record of contagions and deaths, there is also the suspension of the educational activities of schools and universities until April 3rd. I immediately requested the closure of all school and Universities locations until April 15th to allow school staff and directors to stay in their home.

Since freedom of teaching must always – and in any case- be protected and encouraged, the various requests for clarification on the management methods of teaching via the web, launched for weeks now, are increasingly frequent: this is the teaching procedure that all schools are promoting to tackle the suspension of school and teacher’s activities scheduled until April 3rd.

It is obvious that the difficulties in carrying out the work, under these conditions, are several; however, the teachers have shown and are showing that they do not want to escape, although there are no contractual obligations on this regard, from the commitment to continue to maintain active contact with their students.

Our Trade Union reiterates that it is necessary to operate with greater attention to the risk of the digital divide: a concrete wild card if we think that not all families have Wi-Fi networks, computers or other electronic devices to use. Good news comes with the Cura Italia Decree, with which millions of euros are allocated to make up for this shortcoming, supporting less well-off students with purchases on loan for use and individual digital devices; this can serve to buffer the situation and bring to an end the current and tiring school year. It should be remembered that, although considering the presence of good practices in some realities, in Italy the IT delay remains considerable.

Following the Decree-Law n.18 of 17th of March 2020, all schools’ hiring competitions and procedures are suspended. With the competitions blocked, the hiring process will be practically void and this will reconfirm the stalemate of thousands of precarious workers who for a long time have been fighting, together with us, to achieve the long-awaited stabilization. Our Trade Union has asked for an extraordinary plan of permanent hiring, and to end the phenomenon of “substitutes”, implementing a stabilization plan from a third recruitment channel: the Institute rankings.

We are sure to continue to follow the evolution of this emergency, having as an additional priority also the protection of the rights and health of school staff serving abroad: in fact, our Constitution guarantees to the Italian citizens the right to health, the right which cannot have boundaries, which must also be guaranteed to teachers committed to carrying out a central task in the diffusion of the Italian language and culture in the world. In this particular context, our Trade Union also remains active and committed: we have sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Luigi Di Maio, to the Minister of Education, Ms Lucia Azzolina, and the Minister of Health, Mr Roberto Speranza, in order to protect teachers and their families who are currently abroad, so that these school professionals can intervene promptly and finally be guaranteed the right to health, through the organization of special flights for the repatriation of those who they have good reasons and are in good health.

With great gratification, after the letter sent by ANIEF to the competent Ministers, on 19th of March 2020, Office 5th issued further provisions relating to the Covid -19 emergency to the offices, signed by Minister Mr Roberto Vellano. Thanks to Anief’s tenacity and competence, school staff on-duty abroad who need to return to Italy can now move to our Country.

Teachers abroad can apply for holidays to return first and then ask to be placed under art.186 of Presidential Decree 18/67, activating the distance learning: this result is a great achievement and rewards our efforts in this delicate moment, and our way of work as a transparent Trade Union.

All confident that this pandemic will soon pass, and that the dramatic numbers will start an enormous about-turn, all of us as Italians citizens and we as ANIEF will continue to be fervent supporters of agile work, for our Trade Union, for all the employees, co-workers, associates and teachers of our country engaged in distance learning.

With the deepest hope that, despite these difficult times, the autonomous Trade Unions guarantee the consultancy and remote protection activities for all employees and managers of the Public and Private Sectors.

We agree with the Government: to avoid an ever greater contagion and that the country will lose more people and a very high number of human lives, additional time is needed.

After all, the school has never stopped and we will not stop.

We won’t have a break. We are and will remain all united for the beloved Country that we hope will soon experience a real and intense spring.

Prof. Marcello Pacifico

CESI Europe Academy Vice President
ANIEF President
CISAL Confederal Secretary
CONFEDIR Organizing Secretary