A shared priority
In the aftermath of the terrible shock of May 2012, the Educational Authorities were the first recipients of economic, structural and human resources for reconstruction. “Schools First” was the slogan adopted by local government, coordinated by the Region of Emilia-Romagna and by other public and private organizations. An initial phase of reconstruction work started immediately and followed three essential lines of action. The first was the provision of temporary school modules (short term structures) and temporary school buildings (long term structures) to allow the schools affected to resume teaching. The second involved the deployment of financial and human resources from the non-public sector: from large national alliances, primarily guided by newspapers or credit institutions, to voluntary associations, individual schools, 
through the teaching staff, students and parents and ordinary citizens. The third was that of the constant work of those involved in the world of education on a daily basis: school administrators, teachers and caretakers, parents and students. As for the schools that I administer, both Cento and Sant’Agostino, our priority was to guarantee that lessons began according to schedule. Even with the inconvenience of afternoon shifts or reduced timetables, starting the school year on time was a strong sign of recovery, because the school is not only the place where we learn, but also a home for the fundamental relationships which hold a community together. In the Bassi Burgatti Institute in Cento, a high school with over 1,200 students, the main building is damaged and unusable. Whilst the Province of Ferrara carries out the renovation and anti-seismic consolidation work, the timetable will be re-organized to include afternoon shifts, as the three buildings available are not sufficient to accommodate all classes. In 
Sant'Agostino the earthquake caused extensive damage to the middle school and to the San Carlo school. After an initial period with reduced working hours and afternoon shifts, followed by the transfer to temporary buildings, the final reconstruction stage for Sant' Agostino was the building of two new schools, constructed according to the latest anti-seismic and energy saving technology. This was the result of an extraordinary donation by the "Il Resto del Carlino, Mediafriends and Channel 5" group, with a contribution from the Region of Emilia-Romagna. The new primary school in San Carlo will be built with donations from "Lo specchio dei tempi" Foundation of the Turin newspaper "La Stampa".