Salò Bottega School Graduates Celebrate as Legislative Challenges Arise
The Salò Bottega School has closed its academic year and awarded diplomas. The ceremony was held at the Palazzo Municipale. Here are the names of the students who graduated with top marks: Laura Barone from Villanuova (with pastry chef Franco Glisenti from Paltone), Luca Bellini from Roè Volciano (with mechanic Giampaolo Massolini from Gavardo), Fulvia Benetelli from Bogliaco and Luana Cozzaglio from Toscolano Maderno (with pastry chef Maria Ferrari), Andrea Bonzanini from Gardone Riviera (with carpenter Mario Tedeschi from Salò), Simone Franzosi from Polpenazze (with carpenter Aurelio Falubba from Puegnago), Claudio Giacomini from Toscolano (with electrician Alessandro Andreatta), Elisa Nolli from Vobarno (with florist Edy Andreis from Roè), Chiara Righetti from S. Felice (with pastry chef Carmelo Di Novo from Salò), Luca Rodolfi from Malpaga (at the Maccarinelli carpentry workshop in Nuvolento), Andrea Taraborelli from Vobarno (with upholsterer Umberto Cominotti from Odolo), and Andrea Terranella from Vobarno (with plumber Alfonso Terranella).
“In the morning, the students carry out activities at the artisans’ workshop,” explains Afra Vezzoli Di Giovine, principal of the school. “In the afternoon, they attend lessons given by volunteer teachers. However, now we are concerned about legislative changes. The increase of one year in the compulsory education has reduced enrollments.”
Mario Mosconi, a magistrate of the Regional Administrative Court (Tar), explained the prospects. “The Bottega School does not exist among professional training centers. But it would be a waste to disperse an experience like this. The legislator has set rules scattered throughout provisions: they need to be found with Diogene’s lantern within economic provisions, transfers of competencies to the Regions, etc. I believe it can be integrated into the framework identified by Region Lombardy, accrediting the Bottega School as a training placement agency. Artisans (in Italy, there are 140,000, with 240,000 employees and a turnover of 6.5 trillion euros) would benefit from social security and tax relief.”
Opinions and legislative updates
Words of praise came from Mayor Giampiero Cipani and
from councillor Giuseppe Mongiello (“an unusual school compared to the landscape, it gathers a variety of human resources and must be kept alive”). Beppe Nava, the founder, explained that the Undersecretary of Labor, Raffaele Morese, has guaranteed the abolition of INAIL contributions starting from next September.
At the end, Dino Comini, president of the Mutuo Soccorso Operaia e Artigiana, distributed four awards to the most outstanding students: Manuel Giuliano, Rossella Rizza, Silvia Benetelli, and Laura Barone. “In the past, the Mutual Aid Society provided assistance to the sick,” recalled Comini. “At the beginning of the century, it organized evening literacy courses. Now, we support the most deserving local initiatives.”