Students in Italy engage in school cleaning initiatives

In Naples, students at the Istituto Vincenzo Cuoco-Campanella in Piazza Miracoli have manually cleaned classrooms, corridors, and bathrooms following a period of school occupation. The protest, which had suspended lessons, was driven by demands for increased funding for laboratories and facility maintenance. By restoring the school to an orderly state, the students aimed to demonstrate that the right to protest can coexist with civic responsibility and respect for public property.

In Partinico, the principal of the Cassarà-Guida comprehensive institute, Salvatore Ciravolo, has introduced a circular requiring students to spend the final minutes of class wiping down desks, chairs, and laboratory furniture. The principal stated the initiative is intended as an educational tool to foster responsibility and respect for shared spaces rather than a replacement for professional cleaning staff. However, several parents have requested further guarantees regarding hygiene, safety, and the specific methods used during these activities.