Italian Education Minister quits over lack of sufficient budget

Unlike his Nigerian counterpart, Italian Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement said Thursday he had resigned because his ministry is underfunded.

Fioramonti wrote on Facebook that he informed Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of his decision on Tuesday, saying he had taken up the portfolio to “reverse… the trend that has for decades put Italian schools, higher education and research in conditions of great suffering.”

He said the government had failed “to ensure a financial waterline… especially in such a crucial area as universities and research.”

The resignation deals a new  blow to the coalition government formed by Fioramonti’s M5S party and the centre-left Democratic Party just four months ago.

Dissensions have already arisen in several areas including migration.

M5S leader Luigi Di Maio, who is foreign minister, has come under harsh criticism within the party, with several lawmakers leaving to join the far-right, anti-immigrant League party led by Matteo Salvini.

Media reports say Fioramonti plans to form an independent group in parliament to support Conte that may be the embryo of a new political party.

However, the case may not be the same with Nigeria as the Education sector over all has continued to receive the least votes in appropriation with its attendant challenges in technological standing.

Truly, Nigerian Education Minister Mallam Adamu Adamu may not have to stand up to rewrite the history like his counterpart, a situation that has been attributed to cronyism following his said long years of relationship with President Mohammadu Buhari.

Nigeria, in 2020 recently passed budget, had allocated 6.7℅ of its total budget to education amount to sum of N691.07 billion.

According to The New York Times,  Meanwhile, resigned Italian Minister and Education Ministry had proposed €3 billion while the budget happened to fall short by one €1 billion, he threw in the towel.

According to The New York Times:

“…Italy’s education minister, who had vowed to revitalize the country’s schools and introduce lessons on climate change in every grade nationwide, has resigned, citing a lack of funding.

The minister, Lorenzo Fioramonti, submitted his resignation on Monday after Parliament ratified a 2020 budget that fell a billion euros short of his request. The resignation was disclosed publicly on Wednesday.

Mr. Fioramonti, appointed in September, had announced ambitious plans to teach students about the climate and environmental sustainability, beginning next fall. “The 21st century citizen,” he said, “must be a sustainable citizen.”

But his resignation this week didn’t come as a surprise.

In an interview with the newspaper Il Messaggero last month, Mr. Fioramonti said he was seeking an additional 3 billion euros for the education budget and would quit if the request wasn’t met. The budget approved by Parliament added €2 billion, according to the economy minister, Roberto Gualtieri.ROME — Italy’s education minister, who had vowed to revitalize the country’s schools and introduce lessons on climate change in every grade nationwide, has resigned, citing a lack of funding.

The minister, Lorenzo Fioramonti, submitted his resignation on Monday after Parliament ratified a 2020 budget that fell a billion euros short of his request. The resignation was disclosed publicly on Wednesday.

Mr. Fioramonti, appointed in September, had announced ambitious plans to teach students about the climate and environmental sustainability, beginning next fall. “The 21st century citizen,” he said, “must be a sustainable citizen.”

But his resignation this week didn’t come as a surprise.

In an interview with the newspaper Il Messaggero last month, Mr. Fioramonti said he was seeking an additional 3 billion euros for the education budget and would quit if the request wasn’t met. The budget approved by Parliament added €2 billion, according to the economy minister, Roberto Gualtieri.”

From the above comparison, it shows that Italy’s budget is atop Nigerian budget for education by over N100 billion.

As at 2018, Italy’s population was put at 60.48 million while Nigeria’s current population is 203, 427, 905 as Tuesday, December 24, 2019 based on Worlometers elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

While it is agreeable that there are other needs on the front burner, it is definitely incontrovertible that Nigeria can reduce its poverty level through quality education, which surely will direct effects in every sector of its economy.

– (AFP)/The New York Times/NewsTrack Nigeria