Fragile School

Piedimonte Matese. A classroom in the closed agrarian institute "Coppola," damaged by the earthquake on December 29, 2013. The school remains closed, with students relocated to another institute in the town, where they must attend double shifts from 8:10 AM to 8:20 PM.

Recent statistics reveal that approximately 60% of Italian public schools fail to meet current safety standards, with nearly 600,000 students attending institutions suffering from severe structural deficiencies. Despite recent public investments in education, experts estimate it will take 110 years to bring all schools up to standard. In a country vulnerable to frequent earthquakes, around 10,000 schools still fall short of anti-seismic safety requirements. This project highlights schools grappling with visible, often long-standing issues stemming from aging infrastructure, neglect, and inadequate maintenance. Beyond physical decay, these conditions directly impact the quality of education and the learning environment for students and educators alike. “Fragile Schools” is the first chapter in a broader effort to document and critically examine the challenges facing Italy’s education system.

L'Aquila. A damaged wing of the Leonardo da Vinci Institute, affected by the 2009 earthquake. Classes continue on the lower floor and in adjacent undamaged room.

Bojano. The F. Amatuzio–Pallotta school was relocated to a temporary structure in Terre Longhe following the 2002 Molise earthquake. The original building, demolished in 2016, is under reconstruction. Around 450 primary and middle school students attend classes in this temporary facility.

Palermo. Inside the Sciascia Comprehensive Institute, located in the ZEN 1 neighborhood

L'Aquila. An abandoned room inside the Leonardo da Vinci Institute. Classes are held in the adjacent wing.

Furci. Andrea Gaeta, 13 years old, attends the only middle school in the town, which has a single mixed-grade classroom for students aged 10 to 13, combining grades 6 to 8.

San Buono. Jennifer Bottari, 13 years old, is in grade 7. The town’s middle school operates with a single mixed-grade class for grades 6 and 7, accommodating students aged 11 to 12.

Guilmi. The elementary school consists of a single mixed-grade classroom for students from grades 1 to 5. Since November 2016, classes have been held in an industrial warehouse.

Palermo. The gymnasium of the Sciascia Comprehensive Institute has been closed for 14 years and repeatedly vandalized.

Bojano. A classroom in the temporary F. Amatuzio–Pallotta school complex, built after the 2002 Molise earthquake. The original building, damaged in the quake, was demolished only in 2016. Over 450 students continue to attend this "temporary" facility, initially intended to last just five years.

Castellino sul Biferno. The unfinished swimming pool of the local school, built after the 2002 earthquake at a cost of €3.5 million, remains unused. The school hosts a single mixed-grade classroom with children aged 8 to 11.

Gissi. Francesco and Michele, students in grade 6

Furci. Robert Bukova, 7 years old, is in grade 2. The elementary school operates a mixed-grade classroom for grades 1 and 2, with children aged 6 to 8.

San Maffei. Children line up to enter the school canteen, recently activated to provide meals.

Bojano. The town kindergarten, housed in a prefabricated structure since 2003 after the 2002 Molise earthquake, accommodates 40 children across two classrooms.

Piedimonte Matese. The gymnasium of the E.V. Cappello Hospitality Institute is flooded and unusable.

Piedimonte Matese. Inside the ITIS G. Caso technical school, where part of the roof has collapsed, causing severe water damage throughout the building.

Furci. Rebecca Di Santo, 8 years old, is in grade 3. The elementary school’s mixed-grade classroom combines students from grades 3 to 5, aged 8 to 11.

Piedimonte Matese. One of the technical school’s laboratories, rendered unusable due to flooding.

Spinete, Campobasso Province. The local kindergarten accommodates about 20 children across two classes housed in containers since the October 31, 2002 earthquake.