Lorenzo Milani, The School of Barbiana and the Struggle for Social Justice

This book sheds light on the work of one of the 20th century’s foremost critical educators, the Italian 1 Lorenzo Milani (1923–1967), on the 90th anniversary of his birth. It provides an exposition and critical analysis of the ideas contained in his writings, ideas that emerged from his experiences in two Tuscan localities. Milani and the School of Barbiana that he directed. His work provides signposts for a critically and sociologically engaged pedagogy. Important themes include education and class politics; education and imperialism; education and the culture of militarization; the collective dimensions of learning and writing; peer tutoring; critical media literacy; and reading history against the grain. These ideas are analyzed with reference to similar and contrasting ideas by other international educators, scholars and thinkers. As the book argues, Milani’s oeuvre contains important ingredients for a social justice-oriented critical pedagogy. The spirit for this pedagogical approach is captured in the School of Barbiana’s motto ‘I care.’ “This cleverly written and sensible book reveals the soul of Lorenzo Milani as manifest throughout his life and action. During the past 46 years, we have seldom had occasion to read such a good and exhaustive summary of the concepts and facts that lie at the heart of Lorenzo Milani’s life and human experience. Hic est aut nusquam quod quaerimus.” The ‘evergreen’ pupils of Don L. Milani, Don Milani & Barbiana School, Training & Research Center, Vicchio—Florence