Cultural Mediators at School in Rome: What They Are and How to Request One

In a Nutshell

A cultural mediator is a trained professional who speaks both your language and Italian and helps your family communicate with the school at no cost. The school formally activates the service, but you can request it yourself by speaking directly to the head teacher (dirigente scolastico) or the school's intercultural coordinator (referente intercultura). This is not a favour — it is a legal right, free for both families and schools.

At a Glance

Cost	€0 for the family, always
Timeline	Urgent intervention: 3–7 days. Year-long project: 1–4 weeks
Where to request it	School office or intercultural coordinator; alternatively Roma Capitale Servizi Educativi (Via Capitan Bavastro 94) or USR Lazio (Via Frangipane 41)
Documents required	None — a verbal or written request to the school is enough

What a Cultural Mediator Actually Does

A linguistic and intercultural mediator is not simply a translator. A translator conveys words; a mediator also builds a cultural bridge: explaining to teachers what the family expects, helping parents understand how the Italian school system works, and preventing misunderstandings that stem from cultural differences rather than language alone.

In practice, a mediator can:

• interpret during parent-teacher meetings and meetings with the head teacher
• explain the Italian school system: school cycles, grades, pass/fail rules, key deadlines
• help families read and understand report cards, circulars, and school communications
• gather the child's language biography (languages spoken at home, years of schooling in the country of origin)
• welcome the child during their first days in class, introducing them to classmates
• support the family through difficult moments: grade retention, behavioural issues, referrals to social services
• attend class meetings when the family cannot follow the proceedings in Italian

For the child personally, the mediator can offer emotional support during the first days and step in during acute difficulties such as sudden illness or conflicts.

Languages Available in Rome

Social cooperatives with agreements with Roma Capitale and projects funded under the FAMI (EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) cover the main languages spoken by foreign families in the city. High-demand languages include: Romanian, Albanian, Arabic (Egyptian, Moroccan, Syrian, and Sudanese varieties), Mandarin Chinese, Ukrainian, Russian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Latin-American Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, and Amharic.

Less common languages are also activated: French, English, Portuguese, Sinhala, Somali, Pashto, Dari, Polish, and Wolof. For very rare languages the school searches through regional or national networks. In extreme cases communication proceeds through a bridge language such as English or French.

How to Request One

The formal request originates with the school, but you can set the process in motion by speaking directly to the head teacher or the intercultural coordinator. Simply explain — even verbally — that you do not speak Italian and that you need support for:

• enrolling and settling in your child
• periodic parent-teacher meetings
• participation in class or school assemblies
• understanding school communications

You can do this orally or with a short written note. Once the school receives your request, it activates the mediator through its available channels: ministry- or EU-funded projects (FAMI, PON), agreements with social cooperatives accredited by Roma Capitale, or through the local Municipio (Rome's 15 district councils).

If the school says it has no resources, go directly to:

• Roma Capitale — Dipartimento Servizi Educativi e Scolastici, Via Capitan Bavastro 94, Roma
• Ufficio Scolastico Regionale Lazio (regional school authority), Via Frangipane 41, tel. 06 77392221, usr.lazio.it
• Your local Municipio, social-policy or educational-services desk

When Is a Mediator Most Useful?

Anytime precise understanding between family and school is needed. The most common occasions are:

• the initial intake meeting when a newly arrived child is enrolled (usually 2–4 hours)
• report-card distribution at the end of each school term
• whole-class parent meetings
• meetings in cases of grade retention or exclusion from exams
• conflict situations between school and family
• secondary-school guidance sessions when choosing a high school

Where to Find Support in Rome

Many established organisations in Rome provide school mediation, often under agreement with the city or through EU-funded projects:

• Programma Integra Soc. Coop. — mediation for schools, social services, and healthcare
• CIES Onlus — Via delle Carine 4, tel. 06 77264611
• Casa dei Diritti Sociali / FOCUS — Via Giolitti 225 (Termini area)
• Centro Astalli (JRS Italia) — Via degli Astalli 14a
• Apriti Sesamo Onlus — school mediation
• Idea Prisma — mediation and reception services
• Magliana 80 Soc. Coop.
• Save the Children Italia — Piazza San Francesco di Paola 9
• Caritas Roma — services for foreign nationals

Further information is available on the Portale Integrazione Migranti.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming the service costs money. A cultural mediator at school is always free for the family. If anyone asks you to pay for this service, that is wrong.
2. Using your child as an interpreter during parent meetings. This puts a burden on children that they should not carry, and it often distorts what is actually said. Ask for a mediator — that is the right way.
3. Not requesting one out of fear of being a nuisance. Linguistic and cultural mediation is a right enshrined in art. 45 of DPR 394/1999 and in the 2014 MIUR (Ministry of Education) Guidelines. You are not asking for a favour.

Special Cases

The school says it has no budget for a mediator. Don't accept this as a final answer without taking one more step. Art. 45 of DPR 394/1999 and the 2014 MIUR Guidelines recognise mediation as a fundamental tool. Escalate to the Municipio, Roma Capitale's Dipartimento Servizi Educativi, or USR Lazio. You can also contact the community organisations listed above.

You need mediation outside of school. A school mediator only covers the school-family relationship. Dedicated services exist for other contexts: ASL Roma 1, 2, and 3 (Azienda Sanitaria Locale — your local public-health authority) have mediators at STP desks (the dedicated health service for undocumented patients) and at family health centres (consultori); the Municipi have mediators within social services; for legal matters, use sworn translators.

Your language is very rare. Flag this to the school immediately so it has more time to search. In the meantime, communication can proceed in a bridge language (English or French) or through local ethnic and religious communities — Rome's Ukrainian, Filipino, and Bengali communities, for instance, are well organised and sometimes offer informal support.

Official Sources

• MIM — Students with Non-Italian Citizenship
• MIUR 2014 Guidelines (PDF)
• Portale Integrazione Migranti — Intercultural Mediation
• USR Lazio
• Roma Capitale — Dipartimento Servizi Educativi e Scolastici
• Roma Capitale — Schools
• Scuola in Chiaro (school finder)

Legal references: D.Lgs 286/1998 arts. 38 and 42; DPR 394/1999 art. 45 para. 4; Legge 285/1997; MIUR Guidelines 2014; CM MIUR 2/2010; EU Regulation 2021/1147 (FAMI).