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Corsica schools introduce anti-mafia lessons for teenagers
Programme teaching children about organised crime, intimidation and its impact on island life has been expanded
Published
Schools in Corsica are introducing anti-mafia lessons aimed at helping teenagers understand organised crime and challenge romanticised ideas about its role on the island.
The programme, already trialled in several schools, has been extended from September to pupils from quatrième, roughly age 13, through to the final year of lycée.
Students will receive 30 to 40 hours of teaching across subjects including history, French, Corsican and civic education. “It is not a question of adding a separate subject, but of enabling teachers to explore, through their own disciplines, the mechanisms and consequences of mafia practices,” said education officials.
The programme is designed to develop progressively from quatrième to the final year of lycée, with pupils encouraged to question evidence, debate issues and develop their critical thinking rather than being given a ‘ready-made’ message.
Lessons are designed to not only focus on killings and other headline crimes, but also to show how organised criminal groups can exert influence through intimidation, favours and personal connections.
At Simon-Vinciguerra secondary school in Bastia, pupils were asked to suggest words they associated with the mafia before teachers challenged some of their assumptions.
Outside speakers, including magistrates, lawyers and members of anti-mafia groups, can also take part.
Teachers are also seeking to dismantle the mythology surrounding organised crime. Some young Corsicans continue to associate criminal figures with protection, local identity or power, while lessons examine how seemingly minor acts, such as passing on an address or moving a car, can draw people into criminal networks.
The sensitivity of the subject is heightened by the island’s close-knit communities. When Simon-Vinciguerra was chosen as a pilot school, only one parent of more than 400 pupils asked for her son to be excused; a close relative had been involved in organised crime.
Inspired by anti-mafia education in Italy, the scheme is eventually expected to reach around 16,000 pupils. Education officials say a central aim is to break the silence surrounding organised crime.
