Beyond Protest: Consequences of Missing Democratic Education and Paths to a More Participatory Public School.

This presentation examines the relationship between democratic education, student participation, and conflict in mainstream public schooling through the analysis of a case study from the Italian secondary education system. The case concerns a student occupation that resulted in significant material damage, disciplinary sanctions, and legal proceedings, attracting considerable public and political attention. Drawing on theories of democratic education, student voice, and participatory school governance, the presentation interprets the protest not merely as an episode of student misconduct, but as a symptom of a broader democratic deficit within schooling. It argues that when meaningful opportunities for participation are weak, symbolic, or absent, students may experience disengagement, mistrust, and a growing sense of political exclusion, potentially contributing to more confrontational forms of collective action. Through a critical analysis of the school context, the protest, and the institutional response that followed, the presentation explores how traditional forms of school governance often fail to recognise students as legitimate educational and political actors. Particular attention is given to the tensions between formal mechanisms of representation and the limited opportunities for authentic deliberation and shared decision-making available to young people. Building on insights from democratic schools and contemporary debates on democratic citizenship education, the paper discusses possible pathways for strengthening participation within public schools. These include student micro-governance structures, deliberative assemblies, shared decision-making processes, negotiated curricula, and institutionalised spaces for dialogue and collective reflection. The presentation contributes to ongoing discussions on how public schools can move beyond episodic forms of student protest and towards more democratic, participatory, and educationally just environments in which students are recognised not only as learners, but also as active members of the school community and co-constructors of educational life.