The Meaning of Intercultural/Multicultural Education in the Italian Context.

This paper describes intercultural education in Italian elementary through secondary schools, examines intercultural education in teacher education programs, and raises disciplinary questions about the multicultural approaches now favored in Europe. A discussion of multicultural society and intercultural education touches on increases in foreign students in Italian schools, teacher fears and sense of inadequacy facing these students' needs, historical trends, and changing social awareness. A section on nursery school discusses the rights of foreigners, the goals of intercultural education at this level, and relevant fields of application and competence in intercultural education. A section on the elementary level notes that democratic coexistence and the learning of a second language are emphasized. The section on the middle school describes the accepted aims of this level and explores problems in making known presumed areas of common values across many cultures. The section on secondary education describes official positions of three different agencies on the focus of intercultural education at this level. The section on teacher formation briefly describes programs at several universities. This leads to a discussion of the disciplinary status of inter-culturalism and whether it is its own discipline or an approach that should permeate all scholastic and university teaching. (Contains 28 references.) (JB)