“Fare la classe”. Continuità e criticità dalle “150 ore” della classe operaia ai Cpia

The article introduces the monographic section dedicated to the fifty years of the experimental “150–hour courses” initiative, gathering contributions from scholars who participated in the conference “Making the class. Adult education fifty years after the 150–hour courses” (“Fare la classe. L'Educazione degli adulti a 50 anni dai corsi delle 150 ore”) held in Turin at the Polo del ‘900 on April 18 and 19, 2024. In light of the reflections shared during this event, we propose a comparison between the working class' educational experience of the 1970s and the current reality of the Centers for Adult Education (Centri Provinciali per l'Istruzione degli Adulti – Cpia), from both a historical and critical perspective. A complex picture emerges, in which the evolution of the Italian educational system and adult education intersect, influenced by global neoliberal pressures of the productive sector and beyond, as well as immigration policies and linguistic education aimed at new citizens.