Ethnic Issues – Coordination and Evaluation of Project Activities (Italian National Community) – Students from Italy in Schools of the Italian National Community in Slovenia

The expert development work in 2026 addresses the increasing number of pupils with permanent residence in Italy who enrol in schools with Italian as the language of instruction in Slovenia. The aim of the research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of cross-border enrolment and its pedagogical, organisational, and social dimensions.

The research analyses enrolment trends among pupils from Italy, examines families’ motivations for choosing schooling in Slovenia, assesses the impact of cross-border mobility on didactic processes and on relationships between the school, pupils, and parents, analyses pupils’ subsequent educational pathways, and identifies needs for additional pedagogical and organisational support.

Data will be collected using qualitative research methods, primarily through semi-structured interviews with school leadership and parents of pupils residing in Italy. The purpose of the interviews is to better understand the impact of the phenomenon under study on the functioning of the school and to identify possible developmental needs in the educational process.