Reforming Education System and the Small Rural Villages

In these days italian government is engaged in reforming national school and education system. Many protests exploded in the main cities' streets but what is the opinion of rural communities about that?. According to Coldiretti (Farmer's Association) in Piemonte Region many problems will arise from this reform for rural villages in the mountains due to the reduction in the schools' number. Isolation, loss of population, lack of adequate infrastructures make already difficult the school and education activities in many rural villages in the mountains. In many contexts, a school represents the materialization of many social rights (learning, social cohesion, etc.) in realities which normally show evident threats of marginalization and exclusion. The recent governmental decree may provoke serious damages in the entire education system in the mountains: cutting resources for schools means putting at risk one of the main service which the presence of many families, who already suffer a lack of other services, in such rural areas depends on. European Union has emphasised the importance to increase social competitiveness of rural areas investing significant resources but this decree in going toward the opposite direction. Such reductions thus imply a severe decrease in the quality of life for many small rural communities, making difficult the presence of rural families in their territories and the survival and development of economic activities. These adverse conditions are affecting both rural villages in the Alps and in the Appennines together with a large number of small rural villages (considered marginal areas) in hilly territories. Closing local schools, many students will be forced to attend the lessons in more and more distant schools... What do rural communties think about that?