Secondary School: An Odyssey from the Distant Past

Abstract

The essay examines the main open issues within the Italian secondary school system, drawing on three mythological legends. The school is compared to the labyrinth of the Minotaur, a maze fraught with uncertainties and hopes where it is difficult to find direction and even to interpret what is happening. The reformist drive, which emerged alongside the Italian education system, can be likened, at least in its outcomes, to the work of Penelope, who weaves her tapestry by day only to unravel it the following morning, deceiving the suitors. The thread of Ariadne symbolizes the aspiration for genuine change, an integrated project, and a structural reform capable of freeing both students and teachers from the labyrinthine traps of the Minotaur.