The revival of radical popular education in Italy as a new form of cultural and class struggle: The case of popular schools in Rome.

This article examines the recent revival of radical popular education in Italy through a case study of the "network of Roman popular schools," which reconnects education with political and class struggle in response to growing educational inequalities. Drawing on four years of participant observation and 28 interviews with educators, the study highlights how these schools, inspired by historical figures like Lorenzo Milani and theoretical frameworks from Gramsci and Freire, combine scholastic support with critical pedagogy to empower working-class and migrant youth. The popular schools operate largely outside formal institutions, often within self-managed social centers, and aim to counteract the stigmatization and cultural subordination imposed by mainstream education and neoliberal policies. Their educational practices foster social recognition and collective identity among subaltern groups, involving both students and educators in a counter-hegemonic cultural struggle to restore dignity and promote social justice for marginalized communities.