Educational policy in the “Reggio Emilia Approach” 75 years later: Dialogues on the beauty of the school space with Vea Vecchi, Maddalena Tedeschi and Carlotta Ferrozzi

Abstract

To speak of Reggio Emilia schools is to speak of an educational, political, ethical, aesthetic project that is as valid today as when it came into being over half a century ago. With its conception of space as a “third educator”, this project has, from the very outset, sought to rethink the design of beautiful places that promote creative, critical, relevant learning. Which principles underpin the design of these places? What is meant by a beautiful space? How can research on space transform everyday reality in schools? This article sets out the contrasting dialogue of three leading thinkers in the “Reggio Emilia Approach”: Vea Vecchi, Maddalena Tedeschi and Carlotta Ferrozzi. Their testimonies help us understand the importance of an educational initiative that is connected to the community and which sees childhood as a form of citizenship, where the quality of the space is determined by the quality of the relations it enables and stimulates; relations promoted through shared reflection among teaching staff and other professionals, based on pedagogical documentation processes which in turn stimulate professional development.