Mariastella Gelmini

Maria Stella Gelmini ( born July 1, 1973 in Leno, province of Brescia ) is an Italian politician of the Popolo della Libertà. In Silvio Berlusconi's fourth cabinet she was from May 2008 to November 2011 Minister for Education, University and Research.

Political career

Maria Stella Gelmini has specialized as a lawyer on administrative law. She was hired by the party's founding in the Forza Italia and directed since 1994 the party-affiliated club azzurro in Desenzano del Garda. In 1998 she was elected to the municipal council of Desenzano, whose chairman, she was until 2002. From 2002 to 2005 she worked in the government of the province of Brescia, initially (until 2004) as assessor of Spatial Planning, then as an assessor for agriculture. In April 2005, she was elected to the Regional Council of Lombardy and appointed a month later by Silvio Berlusconi 's Forza Italia to the coordinator of in their home region. In the parliamentary elections of 2006 she was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies and confirmed in the early general elections in 2008. In parliament, she worked among others in the Judiciary Committee and the Committee for law enforcement authorization. She also starred in the drafting of the new party statute for the 18 November 2007, launched by Berlusconi, right-wing liberal party collection Popolo della Libertà a decisive role.

On 8 May 2008, she was appointed as an education and research minister in the fourth Berlusconi government.

Work as Minister of Education and Research

The " reform Gelmini "

The hitherto most important official act of Gelmini, the introduction of Decree number 137 of 1 September 2008, which is entitled " Urgent measures concerning education and university." The decree is known in Italy as " Gelmini reform ".

This decree includes on the one hand, the re-introduction of the guide note in the report card, which the Ministry of The sharp rise in violence wants to work in the schools. In various organizations, such as the Moige ( a parents' association ) received approval of the reform point, whereas especially religious organizations, such as the Exodus Onlus, reservations anmeldeten. On the other hand a rating to be introduced into tenths back in the certificate. So far, the student was assessed in a review text.

Another point of Decree 137 is the establishment of a mandatory civics education with traffic and environmental education.

As of 2009, the so-called " Maestro unico " should be re-introduced in primary schools. This means that a teacher teaches all subjects; far different curriculum content were in primary schools entrusted to different teachers. According to the Gelmini teachers towards a decreasing number of students would have been disproportionate. Despite this reform is not part-time to be introduced in the already employed teachers. For new hires will serve as a basis a 24- hour week.

The reform point to the introduction of the " Maestro unico " was adopted by the scope of the financial provisions of the Act No. 133 of 6 August 2008 to comply. In this Act 2009 expenditure of 456 million euros, in 2010 1,650 million euros, for the year 2011 of 2,538 million euros and for 2012 to 3,188 million euros were for the year provided are of which 30 per cent from 2010 are used for enhancement and training of teaching staff.

From the " Gelmini reform " is a surplus of teachers of approximately 87,400 units results in the school year 2011/2012 and a surplus of temporary workers from 44,500 units in the period 2009-2011. Also in the decree, however, in Article 16, the state universities granted the right, depending on the decision of the respective Academic Council to transform the university into a private university.

Other measures

Maria Stella Gelmini has repeatedly advocated for the reintroduction of school uniform in primary schools. On the one hand more order would be established, on the other social differences would be concealed. Surveys indicate largely support for this proposal in the population.

In addition Gelmini promotes the introduction of new digitized textbooks.

In October 2008, the Minister of funds for the purchase of 10,000 so-called digital whiteboards (interactive blackboards ) ready. These are networked with external computers and also have Internet access.

Resistance against the " Gelmini reform "

See: Onda

Save the setting by Gelmini around 150,000 posts for teachers and temporary staff without first involving the unions in discussions with, has provoked fierce resistance of the latter. In particular, the unions Gilda, Cobas, CGIL, CISL and UIL announced vehement rejection of the reform. The Ministry countered with the statement that schools and training institutions are not Arbeitsplatzvervielfältiger. and that currently 97 % of the expenditure would be used in the field of education for salaries latter but is attacked by unions as disinformation, since the percentage even was below the average of the OECD. Criticism was the reform at the beginning of the conflict and the alliance partner Umberto Bossi ( Lega Nord), which, however, a short time later explained that there was no disagreement with Gelmini on the subject.

The measures Gelmini have also triggered a strong resistance in schools and universities. In October 2008 there were almost daily strikes of teachers and temporary staff to demonstrations of parents with children in elementary school and a series of actions by students and professors, as well as high school students. Among other things, marches, university occupations and seminars have been organized in public places. The student movement itself has been cited by the media and the students " Onda " ( wave). After Gelmini had expressed in an article of Berlusconi -related television channel Canale 5 their lack of understanding about these protests, they described the protesters as one orchestrated by the Left, minority who had not even read the decree.

On 22 October 2008, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a press conference to try to crack down on the demonstrators and, where appropriate, to use the police against the students. After massive protests against a possible use of the police Berlusconi declared a day later, on 23 October that he had never said that he would use the police and all the media had been misinformed.