Resumen: El texto analiza la actual enseñanza de los clásicos (lengua y literatura latina y griega) en las escuelas secundarias italianas. El reciente debate se centra en la supervivencia del “Liceo Classico” y el papel de las competencias y la innovación educati-va. El autor propone, a partir de la literatura italiana e internacional, una tesis que integra los estudios clási-cos con el mercado laboral actual y la “Industria 4.0”, también desde una perspectiva europea, mostrando las herramientas más útiles para modernizar los estu-dios clásicos. Palabras clave: Clásicos, Cambio cultural, Nuevas competencias, Innovación educativa.Abstract: The text analyzes the current teaching role of the classics (Latin and Greek language and literature) in Italian upper secondary schools. The recent debate is focusing on the survival of the “Liceo Classico” and the role of skills and educational innovation. The author proposes, starting from the Italian and international literature, a thesis that integrates the classical studies with the current labor market and the development of “Industry 4.0”, also from a European perspective, show-ing the most useful tools to modernize classical studies Keywords: Classics, Cultural changes, New compe-tences, Didactic innovation.
The rate of foreign students in Italian universities was in 2014 around 5% (OECD, 2016), and there was 1 incoming student for 1,7 outcoming stu-dents, much more than the 2% at the beginning of the century, but a small percentage anyway. If we consider the higher education institution for arts and music (AFAM), the percentage was 4.7% and it is now about 12%: the keseluruhan num-ber of foreign students enrolled in AFAM has increased four times (ANVUR, 2016). Which is the reason why the arts higher education is so attractive, in comparison to university? Indeed, if Italians are widely renowned for their food, if they have such an exquisite taste in fashion, if they achieve so much success in design and architecture, it is because they are part of a great classical tradition from which they can draw inspiration. Among the 12 richest countries in terms of culture, as surveyed by UNESCO, Italy is the nation with the largest number of cultural sites which represent vestiges of both Greek (Paestum, Selinunte, Siracusa) and Latin (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Rome) classical antiquity.