City in the interior of São Paulo starts teaching Italian in the municipal public network
An agreement signed on Monday night (4) will allow elementary school children from the Jundiaí Education Network to take Italian classes during the school year.
This advancement in the students' curriculum will be possible after the closing of the agreement signed by Mayor Luiz Fernando Machado, the Italian Ambassador to Brazil, Antonio Bernardini, and the Vice-Consul General in São Paulo, Filippo La Rosa.
They participated in the official opening of the 2nd Pedagogical Update Week (SAP), at the Polytheama Theater, where an agreement was signed between the City Hall, through the Education Management Unit (UGE), and the Consulate General of Italy in São Paulo for the training of teachers in the municipal education system in the Italian language.
“The goal is to offer language teaching to our students, giving them an important advantage in the future, which is increasingly challenging. Maintaining the development of Jundiaí through education is one of the pillars of the Escola Innovadora program”, highlighted the mayor.
“The issue of attachment to origins is just one part,” said Fillippo, remembering Jundiaí’s ties to Italy. “Italian is the fourth most studied language in the world, because it is a language of culture, of literature, because it is the language of the greatest cultural power in the world”, he added.
The Italian ambassador, Antonio Bernardini, added that the signed agreement looks to the future. “Affective, ancestral and cultural ties are important. But today we take a step forward, looking to the future, and also thinking about economic ties. I’m very happy with what’s happening here,” he said.
Italian Ambassador discusses commercial partnerships
Before, the mayor and Italian authorities met at the Municipal Palace, with businesspeople who listened attentively to the explanation of the president of the Italo Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, about the growing business opportunities that Italy offers to local investors and entrepreneurs. “These are unique and reciprocal opportunities, with the difference that Italy is a fantastic gateway to the whole of Europe. We have 14 Italian-based companies in Jundiaí and it is in our interest to foster the Municipality’s commercial relationship with multinationals”, explained the mayor.
The Italian ambassador recalled that, just as important as keeping the history of a people alive is looking to the future and seeing what can be done to move forward. “This meeting is just the starting point of a greater objective. Our idea is to promote a business roundtable between local and Italian businesspeople, here or even in Italy, to identify interests and potential. We will not just focus on rhetoric and will soon promote more objective actions”, said Bernardini.
After the meeting at the office, the Italian delegation and the mayor met with representatives of companies from Jundiaí, in the auditorium of the Paço Municipal, where data on the European country's economy were presented to those present. “Italy is experiencing a structural crisis and has grown little, but expectations are very optimistic. The issue of high public debt has never prevented the country from being one of the greatest powers in the world”, highlighted La Rosa. “Industrial production is very strong. We are the second largest manufacturer in Europe, second only to Germany”, he added.
According to the consul, local businesspeople can look closely at opportunities in the electricity sector, as partnerships in this field between Brazilian and Italian groups have been growing in recent years. “We want the city of Jundiaí to promote itself in Italy, showing its diversity and potential”, stated La Rosa.
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