I registri di classe delle scuole elementari: un esempio di fonte per la Public History of Education

Abstract

Registers are documents compiled by teachers with a large amount of original data and information, and can therefore represent a significant source as an official document and an element of material culture characteristic of the historical-educational heritage. However, it is a resource that is still little studied and occasionally used, also because it is rarely available in a quantity sufficient to justify its use as a main source. It is necessary to guarantee a scientific approach to the collection and interpretation of data, complex and if possible numerous, which must be treated, selected and processed with care, and contextualised through comparison with the administrative and legal situation of the school organisation. The information that emerges from consulting the registers concerns elements that still represent sensitive situations today, and fuel a narrative that can also involve a non-academic audience, considering the relevance of the school years in people’s experience.