Abstract
This panel explores the evolving landscape of formal education for minorities and minoritised groups within linguistically plural societies, using the metaphor of siege and alliance to interrogate policy, practice and pedagogy. In line with the colloquium’s overarching theme, we examine how minority educational systems in Europe, Italy, and more specifically in the officially trilingual Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen/Bulsan (South Tyrol), respond to the challenges and affordances of linguistic plurality in the context of migration and political re-nationalisation, and how these responses shape the experiences of minority and minoritised learners.
The panel comprises four interlinked papers. Together, they offer a critical lens on how education can either reinforce siege mentalities or cultivate alliances in plural societies. The panel invites reflection on how pedagogical and policy choices shape the lived realities of minority and minoritised learners and contribute to broader democratic and pluralistic goals.
The paper draws on the reflections shared in the previous contributions to explore how South Tyrolean educational institutions navigate the tensions between inclusion and preservation within an increasingly complex ecology of languages and knowledge bases. To do so, the paper will first draw on ethnographic research with families experiencing marginalisation in the transition from kindergarten to primary school. Moving from a siege to an ally perspective, the paper then draws on empirical examples of primary education practices to show how students’, caregivers’ and teachers’ agency can be fostered by promoting appreciation for both historical minorities and more recently settled language communities.