Italian Education Reform Threatens Literary Canon, Critic Argues

Valentina Ferrario criticizes a new Italian education reform proposed by Minister of Culture Valditara, which moves Alessandro Manzoni's "I Promessi Sposi" from the first two years of high school to the fourth year, citing excessive difficulty. The reform also reduces Dante Alighieri's study to two years and fills the early curriculum with genres like mystery, fantasy, horror, and contemporary fiction, including authors Italo Calvino and Beppe Fenoglio, and even J.R.R. Tolkien. Ferrario argues this simplification undermines the cultural and linguistic foundation of Italian education, emphasizing that Manzoni's work is central to modern Italian language. She contends that postponing complex texts weakens students' ability to engage with depth and critical thinking, and that the reform prioritizes accessibility over intellectual growth. The article was published on Artspecialday on April 24, 2026.