Education Progress over the Last Italy's 150 Years: An (almost) Accomplished Unification

The central issue of this paper is the convergence process of Italy and,within it, of southern regions towards higher levels of education, in line withthe main European Countries. When Italy was unified, Italian adult populationhad studied on average less than one year, against four-five years as to Franceand Germany. Regional gaps were considerable, higher than those concerningincome and life expectation. In 1951, 90% of Italian population had a goodlevel of literacy, whereas in the South of Italy the share had increased to about75%. During the economic boom period, the convergence process of southernregions with respect to education levels absolutely accelerated and then sloweddown in the last twenty years of the past century. In these years the importanceof an articulate policy for the South of Italy surfaced, shifting from publicworks planning to business support and human capital enhancement. Thispaper accounts for the FORMEZ experience in the field of training, highlightingits ability to involve and to steer other public and private institutions towardsthe aim of selecting and training the new establishment. Finally, this paperanalyses the most recent years, stressing how, in the last decade, the Southof Italy has succeeded in bridging the gaps in education levels with the rest ofthe Country, taking a great step forward in secondary and tertiary schoolingrates.The substantial disappearance of quantitative gaps implies, on the otherhand, some qualitative problems. The school drop-out rate, almost zero at compulsoryschool level, is still quite relevant in secondary school - concentrating inthe first years of course - is more widespread among males and in large familiesand is inversely correlated to parents' schooling and socio-occupational conditions.Drop-out rates and attendance irregularities are higher in the South of Italyand in the islands. International and national surveys on learning levels highlightnegative gaps in the South compared to the Centre-North. Centre-Northuniversities' attractiveness remains high, though the spread of university campusesin the last years. In other words, this paper stresses the inevitable mixing betweeneducation and social and economic development and how the stopping ofthe economic convergence process influences both human capital developmentand transition processes from school to labour.