The school that divides

School dropout rates and student hardship are not isolated phenomena: they reflect deep-seated social and regional disparities. A student’s background continues to weigh heavily on their well-being, achievements and opportunities, making school a crucial hub in the reproduction of these disparities
One of the most pressing problems facing the Italian education system is the high school drop-out rate. This is not merely an educational issue, but a phenomenon that reflects and amplifies deep-seated social, economic and cultural inequalities. In Italia, the early school-leaving rate remains above the European average, with significant regional and social disparities.

Through the RISE-WELL (Robustness In Schools for studEnt Well-being), which I coordinate and which is funded by the Cariplo Foundation, we start from the premise that, in order to understand and tackle early school leaving, we must focus on pupils’ well-being and the role of schools as organisations capable of actively addressing inequalities.
In recent years, socio-economic and cultural inequalities have intensified, contributing to a rise in both explicit school drop-out rates and ‘implicit’ drop-out – that is, the failure to acquire basic skills despite completing the educational programme. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds exhibit lower levels of wellbeing: a weaker sense of belonging, lower motivation to study, greater difficulties in interpersonal relationships and poorer academic results.

At the same time, we are witnessing a widespread decline in the psychological wellbeing of adolescents. Anxiety, stress, loneliness and emotional distress are becoming increasingly common, and have a direct impact on pupils’ ability to learn and remain in the education system. These phenomena are not distributed evenly, but follow very specific patterns of inequality linked to family circumstances, the local context and the opportunities available.
Even Milan, often perceived as a dynamic and inclusive city, presents stark contrasts. In outlying neighbourhoods, school drop-out rates can reach very high levels, whilst in central areas they remain marginal. This disparity highlights how educational inequalities are closely intertwined with urban and social inequalities.

RISE-WELL aims to tackle these challenges through an integrated approach. The project analyses four interlinked dimensions (social, economic, cultural and wellbeing) to understand how inequalities accumulate and result in educational disadvantages. But it also introduces an innovative perspective: viewing schools not merely as places of learning, but as organisations capable of adapting and innovating, in order to actively support pupils’ wellbeing and act as a tool for combating inequalities.
To achieve this objective, we adopt a multidisciplinary methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative data. Focusing on the city of Milan, on the one hand, we collect large-scale data to map pupils’ wellbeing and its relationship with inequalities across the city’s different neighbourhoods. On the other hand, we conduct in-depth analyses of Milanese schools located in vulnerable areas to identify which organisational practices, leadership models and educational strategies are most effective in promoting well-being and preventing school drop-out.

A key feature of the project is the direct involvement of school communities. Through participatory and co-design approaches, we work alongside pupils, teachers and families to develop educational practices focused on well-being and preventing pupils from dropping out. This process not only produces more effective solutions, but also strengthens the sense of belonging and shared responsibility within schools.