"Letter to a teacher". Lorenzo Milani's contribution to critical citizenship

Abstract

Lorenzo Milani (1923-1967) was a priest and an educator whose legacy is mainly related to the School of Barbiana, which he set up in a poor, mountain village in Tuscany. This school was set up in order to educate young children of underprivileged families who, in many cases, were turned away by teachers in other schools. Eight of these pupils of Don Milani, under his guidance and supervision, wrote a highly influential text which has undoubtedly left its mark, especially in the field of Education: Letter to a Teacher (Lettera ad una professoressa). While providing a clear picture of the schooling system of their times, in this Lettera Don Milani and his pupils raise questions and issues which are still relevant to today’s educators and to all those who have social justice at heart.

In this book by Carmel Borg, Mario Cardona and Sandro Caruana, Milani’s Lettera is accompanied by linguistic analyses and by comments of a socio-political nature which shed further light on the powerful message of this text. The Lettera is therefore transported into the 21st century, and it remains as relevant and as insightful as it was when it was originally published.