The teaching of mathematics in Italian schools

During the past century secondary education in Italy has frequently been subject to modification and, sometimes, even radical reform. At the end of World War II the Italian secondary schools were left in a serious plight as a result of the general situation of the country, the destruction of school buildings, and, above all, through the baneful effect of fascism. For these reasons the former minister Gonella recently put forward a new measure of reform, the details of which are now about to be discussed by Parliament. This reform would have the effect of reducing the number of teaching hours, of co-ordinating and lightening the chaotic and overloaded syllabi, and of adding civic education and character formation to the curriculum.