The School-Work Alternation, an opportunity not to be wasted

The recent decision by the Government to downsize the school-work alternation (SWA) scheme, set out in Law No. 107/2015 (so called \u201cThe Good School\u201d), by cutting the number of hours spent by students in host organizations plus the reduction of funds by more than 50%, is questionable. The point made by this article is that this proposal is a bad news, a return to the pre Good School situation, when SWA existed only in the form of optional projects, in the autonomy of individual institutions. However, beyond some weaknesses and difficulties, inevitable at an early stage, the mandatory courses of SWA, introduced by \u201cThe Good School\u201d, have produced encouraging results, helping students to more easily enter the labor market (AlmaDiploma, 2019). This papers aims at highlighting the potential benefits of the SWA which represents a real opportunity to modernize the Italian school system. Through this tool, indeed, it is the first time that in one way or another firms are directly involved in the training design, and pushed to create a true linkage between the work and education systems

Aporias of Merit

Merit is universally welcomed and promoted as a contrast to the privileges of belonging that the school is called to correct in order to prepare for a better world. Advanced societies, now largely dominated by technology that closely interacts with the economy, do not give due recognition to merit. Meritocracy, which would be responsible for enhancing skills by promoting equal opportunities, often ends up by reaffirming privileges, in a kind of heterogenesis of ends. An answer to these criticisms can only come from an ethics based on the value of the person that is combined with an idea of merit also comprehensive of moral values

Merit, competence and human capital

Contemporary pedagogy is called to measure itself against two categories, merit and competence, which have become central to the third millennium’s cultural debate and educational policies. If merit is considered the only weapon against privilege, education based on skills is considered the only lever of social equalization. But the concept of merit, which has now entered the common language, open to an interpretative ambiguity because the economic meaning tends to prevail over the pedagogical one. The article identifies a clarifying passage by connecting merit to competence using the theory of human capital considered in the evolution from Becker to Heckman

Older adults, cognitively stimulating activities and change in cognitive function

Finding interventions which can address the decline of cognitive function as people get older is of great importance to policy-makers, especially in post-industrial societies with rapidly ageing populations. We examine the impact of several different types of mentally stimulating activities on cognitive function in a sample of community-dwelling Europeans aged 50 and older. The data were drawn from the fourth, fifth and sixth waves of the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The activities analysed include non-formal learning activities such as education and training courses; informal learning activities such as reading books, newspapers and magazines; and some other types of cognitively stimulating activities including crossword puzzles and playing chess or card games. The cognitive function outcomes under investigation were memory and verbal fluency. Our longitudinal analysis of data on these older adults show that all the activities constituted a potential source for the delay or reduction of cognitive decline, even after a short period – only 4 years – of engagement in such activities and regardless of their age

Birth control knowledge among freshmen of four Italian universities

Since sexual health education (SHE) is not mandatory in Italian schools, we conducted a survey on freshmen of four Italian university campuses in 2012 to investigate the respective level of sexual health knowledge (SHK) in relation to birth control, with the aim to inform public health policy makers. A convenience strategy was employed to sample 4,552 freshmen registered with various undergraduate courses at four Italian universities: Padua university (Veneto Region); university of Milan (Lombardy Region); university of Bergamo (Lombardy Region); university of Palermo (Sicily Region). We investigated the level of SHK on birth control using 6 proxy indicators: (1) the average length of a woman\u2019s period [outcome with 3 levels: wrong (base) vs. acceptable vs. correct]; (2) the most fertile interval within a woman\u2019s period (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (3) the event between the end of a period and the beginning of the next cycle (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (4) the average survival of spermatozoa in the womb (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (5) the concept of contraception (binary outcome: correct vs. wrong answer); (6) the efcacy of various contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies (linear score: 0\u201317). We ftted 6 separate models of multiple regression: multinomial for outcome 1; logistic for outcomes 2, 3, 4, 6; linear for outcome 6. Statistical estimates were adjusted for a number of socio-demographic factors. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) for the 4 multiple logistic regression models, linear coefcients (RC) for the linear regression model and relative risk ratio (RRR) for the multinomial logistic regression model. The level of signifcance of each risk estimate was set at 0.05. The level of SHK of freshmen sampled was rather low, as 60% interviewees did not know the average length of a woman\u2019s period, the average survival of spermatozoa in the womb and the concept of contraception, whilst the most fertile interval within a woman\u2019s period was known only to 55% of interviewees. The mean score of SHK on the efcacy of various contraceptive methods was only 5 (scale 0\u201317). Some categories of students were consistently and signifcantly less knowledgeable on birth control at multivariable analysis: males; students from the university of Palermo; those with vocational secondary school education and those not in a romantic relationship at the time the survey was conducted. The results of this survey clearly call for the introduction of SHE programs in Italian schools, as already done in several European countries. School SHE should start as early as possible, ideally even before secondary school. SHE should be holistic and delivered with a multiple agency coordinated approach involving the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, University and Scientifc Research (MIUR), families, schools, public health departments, primary health care providers, pharmacists, media, other

Determinants of Length of Stay After Vaginal Deliveries in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (NorthEastern Italy), 2005\u20132015

Although length of stay (LoS) after childbirth has been diminishing in several high-income countries in recent decades, the evidence on the impact of early discharge (ED) on healthy mothers and term newborns after vaginal deliveries (VD) is still inconclusive and little is known on the characteristics of those discharged early. We conducted a population-based study in Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) during 2005\u20132015, to investigate the mean LoS and the percentage of LoS longer than our proposed ED benchmarks following VD: 2 days after spontaneous vaginal deliveries (SVD) and 3 days post instrumental vaginal deliveries (IVD). We employed a multivariable logistic as well as a linear regression model, adjusting for a considerable number of factors pertaining to health-care setting and timeframe, maternal health factors, newborn clinical factors, obstetric history factors, socio-demographic background and present obstetric conditions. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and regression coefcients (RC) with 95% confdence interval (95%CI). The adjusted mean LoS was calculated by level of pregnancy risk (high vs. low). Due to a very high number of multiple tests performed we employed the procedure proposed by Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) as a further selection criterion to calculate the BH p-value for the respective estimates. During 2005\u20132015, the average LoS in FVG was 2.9 and 3.3 days after SVD and IVD respectively, and the pooled regional proportion of LoS>ED was 64.4% for SVD and 32.0% for IVD. The variation of LoS across calendar years was marginal for both vaginal delivery modes (VDM). The adjusted mean LoS was higher in IVD than SVD, and although a decline of LoS>\u2009ED and mean LoS over time was observed for both VDM, there was little variation of the adjusted mean LoS by nationality of the woman and by level of pregnancy risk (high vs. low). By contrast, the adjusted fgures for hospitals with shortest (centres A and G) and longest (centre B) mean LoS were 2.3 and 3.4 days respectively, among \u201clow risk\u201d pregnancies. The corresponding fgures for \u201chigh risk\u201d pregnancies were 2.5 days for centre A/G and 3.6 days for centre B. Therefore, the shift from \u201clow\u201d to \u201chigh\u201d risk pregnancies in all three latter centres (A, B and G) increased the mean adjusted LoS just by 0.2 days. By contrast, the discrepancy between maternity centres with highest and lowest adjusted mean LoS post SVD (hospital B vs. A/G) was 1.1 days both among \u201clow risk\u201d (1.1 = 3.4\u20132.3 days) and \u201chigh risk\u201d (1.1 = 3.6\u20132.5) pregnanices. Similar patterns were obseved also for IVD. Our adjusted regression models confrmed that maternity centres were the main explanatory factor for LoS after childbirth in both VDM. Therefore, health and clinical factors were less infuential than practice patterns in determining LoS after VD. Hospitalization and discharge policies following childbirth in FVG should follow standardized guidelines, to be enforced at hospital level. Any prolonged LoS post VD (LoS>\u2009ED) should be reviewed and audited if need be. Primary care services within the catchment areas of the maternity centres of FVG should be improved to implement the follow up of puerperae undergoing ED after VD. At the beginning of the 20th century home births were the norm and hospital deliveries very rare. Women started to deliver in hospital during World War 2 (WW2), in facilities near the military areas where their respective partners were training. Tis trend continued in the decades following WW2, with standard length of stay afer childbirth (LoS) increasing up to 10 days. In the 70 ies some USA hospitals started to assess the health of mothers and newborn for eligibility to returnhome within 12\u201324 hours afer childbirth, with a midwife on call for domiciliary care up to 3 days for 2 weekspost discharge. In 1992 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) formalized the most frequently shared defnition of early discharge (ED) afer childbirth worldwide as a LoS less than 48 h post spontaneous vaginal deliveries (SVD) and less than 96 h post cesarean section (CS). Tereafer the reduction of LoS expanded to other high-income countries, with increasing applications of ED. LoS afer childbirth remained however a controversial aspect of obstetric care, creating an open debate not only on its impact on the health of mothers and babies but also on health policies, state legislations and functioning of the respective health care systems. Nevertheless, ED of mothers and newborn has in fact increased dramatically in several high-income countries over the past 10\u201315 years. However, the evidence on the impact of ED on healthy mothers and term newborns ( 6537 weeks) afer a vaginal delivery (VD) is still inconclusive and little is known of the characteristics of those discharged early. Since LoS has become a critical indicator of efciency of health care delivery, understanding its associated factors could provide information helpful in the reduction of health care costs, improvement in the delivery of obstetric care, containment of untoward events associated with comorbidities and complications requiring readmission. For instance, in Canada (excluding Quebec) from 2003 to 2010, neonatal readmission rates were lowest for LoS of 1\u20132 days following VD and 2\u20134 days afer CS. Several factors are reportedly associated with LoS in the open literature, including readiness for discharge (clinical and perceived) of the mother8,17\u201319. However, information on the impact of medical/obstetrical conditions associated with pregnancies is scarce or totally lacking. Using a comprehensive database with information on a considerable number of factors, we previously reviewed the case mix of hospital performance by LoS post SVD as well as instrumental vaginal deliveries (IVD) during 2005\u20132015 in Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG), a region of North-Eastern Italy. In this study we present the impact of the outstanding determinants on LoS following SVD and IVD, with the aim of inforing health care policy makers

Il valore educativo del capitale umano

Il valore educativo del capitale umano richiama esplicitamente, ma insieme capovolge, il titolo di un noto saggio di Schultz (The Economic Value of Education, 1963), inserendosi cos\uec in una nuova linea di riflessione nelle ultime ricerche di economia dell\u2019istruzione tese a dare un diverso valore al capitale umano, considerato come il risultato di tutto un percorso educativo, a partire dall\u2019infanzia. Il volume \ue8 suddiviso in tre parti. Nella prima vengono presentate le pionieristiche teorie del capitale umano elaborate negli anni \u201960 del secolo scorso dai tre famosi economisti dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Chicago, T.W. Schultz, J. Mincer e G.S. Becker e viene analizzato il tasso di rendimento quale metodo per valutare la redditivit\ue0 dell\u2019investimento educativo. Nella seconda \ue8 approfondito il legame tra istruzione e crescita economica, con un\u2019attenzione particolare al tema della qualit\ue0 della scuola, per finire con le pi\uf9 promettenti linee di ricerca di economia dell\u2019istruzione offerte dai contributi di Dagum e Heckman. L\u2019ultima parte, infine, approfondisce il rapporto economia e pedagogia: l\u2019approccio storico-strutturale permette di evidenziare il cambiamento che esso subisce nel tempo nella direzione di una progressiva autonomia dell\u2019educazione dall\u2019economia. In questo processo le teorie del capitale umano hanno avuto un ruolo rilevante

Lavoro e formazione nelle micro, piccole, medie imprese. 14 imprenditori si raccontano.

Questa ricerca nasce da una duplice esigenza: per un verso tentare di identificare conoscenze esperienze, abilit\ue0, competenze professionali e personali che favoriscono la scelta imprenditoriale; dall\u2019altro, conoscere in che modo questa cultura si alimenta, innova, progredisce e si riversa in una cultura d\u2019impresa condivisa attraverso la formazione. Per cercare di conseguire questi obiettivi \ue8 stato privilegiato come interlocutore l\u2019imprenditore di micro-piccole e medio imprese, con storie relativamente recenti che hanno il vantaggio di essere ancora legate all\u2019humus umano culturale e sociale da cui \ue8 nata la scelta che ha dato vita all\u2019impresa. Per penetrare in queste realt\ue0 attraverso la mediazione dell\u2019imprenditore \ue8 stato privilegiato l\u2019approccio narrativo. Ci sono idee forti che tali diventano che quando la comunit\ue0 comincia a farle proprie riscoprendone sensi e significati che da lungo tempo non avevano modo di emergere. Tra queste, nella comunit\ue0 scientifica c\u2019\ue8 sicuramente la riscoperta del valore della narrazione. Attraverso il racconto si comunica l\u2019esperienza, si portano a galla pieghe anche nascoste di una biografia capaci di dare luce a lunghi itinerari di ricerca, di impegno, di professionalit\ue0 e pi\uf9 in generale a percorsi di vita. Anche la pedagogia ha riscoperto questa pista da qualche decennio, ridimensionata la suggestione dello scientismo che ha lasciato anche tanto amaro in bocca rispetto alle attese messianiche che aveva lasciato intravedere. Ma non solo in pedagogia la narrazione ha ripreso slancio e riconoscimento. Il bisogno di autenticit\ue0, di ristabilire un rapporto con l\u2019esperienza, di ritornare \u201calle cose\u201d, di ritrovare un senso nel vissuto della quotidianit\ue0; tutto questo ha portato a riscoprire il valore della narrazione in ogni ambito, in ogni contesto in cui all\u2019uomo sia data la possibilit\ue0 di fare esperienza: dal privato, al pubblico al sociale al lavoro. Ma la messa a punto di strumenti conoscitivi pi\uf9 mirati, capaci di eliminare la distanza e la separazione metodologica introdotta dalla scienza per favorire un approccio pi\uf9 diretto con la vita, non \ue8 casuale. In un momento di crisi come quello che stiamo vivendo, quella ricerca metodologica esprime un\u2019esigenza profonda, diffusa di stabilire, in ogni campo, un approccio conoscitivo pi\uf9 diretto, per conseguire, in vista dei cambiamenti da affrontare, una conoscenza pi\uf9 precisa della realt\ue0. Di qui ha preso le mosse l\u2019idea di conoscere il mondo del lavoro andando oltre il livello consentito da indagini statistiche, pure importanti, per cercare, attraverso la narrazione, di cogliere gli aspetti ideografici, specifici, che connotano un\u2019esperienza che non pu\uf2 essere confusa o assimilata ad un\u2019altra e per questo pu\uf2 solo essere raccontata, narrata nella irripetibilit\ue0 del suo accadere