Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara’s reform, which was approved by the Rome parliament, includes a series of measures to tackle violence and disrespectful behavior in the country’s schools.

Its main elements are the reinstatement and tightening of the assessment of students’ “behaviour”.

Middle and high school students will be judged on their behavior on a scale of one to ten. Anyone who falls below the base (6 out of 10) will stay in the same class. But even with a grade of conduct that does not exceed 6, the student, returning to school in September, should present work on social behavior and the rules that allow a civilized coexistence of citizens. In the event that the work is deemed insufficient, the student will be “cut”.

The reform also provides for financial penalties, which will be imposed on parents and children who attack teachers and school staff in general and cause damage to the infrastructure of the school complex.

These penalties will start from 500 euros and will reach 10,000 euros and the exact amount will be determined by a judge. With behavior below the base, the students will not even be able to take part in the final exams for the high school diploma.

“The law approved by the parliament represents a decisive step to create a school system that can develop children’s sense of responsibility and give back authority to teachers,” said the Italian Minister of Education.

Commentators state that these measures are likely to be applied in cases of squatting that result in damage to school complexes.

Finally, a comment by the German newspaper Bild, which states that “the behavior assessment was adopted by the dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime, even if the measure remained in force in Italian schools until the 1970s”, caused a sensation.