The University for the training of heritage educators: reflections from an initial national mapping exercise

Abstract

The now unavoidable educational and communicative needs of museum institutions call for ever-increasing specialisation of the professionals in charge of these functions. Although the requirements for educators and those in charge of educational services are now firmly identified, our legislation does not recognise these professional figures, opening up a de facto mismatch between the needs of cultural places and institutions and the training courses. The latter, as they are not reflected in professional recognition and have to respond to precise ministerial regulations regarding the construction of the training curricula offered at the various levels, from undergraduate degrees to doctoral courses, can only base their didactic openings to heritage education on the sensitivities of individual universities, if not of individual teachers. In order to verify the actual educational offer currently proposed by national universities, an initial national mapping was carried out on Level I and II degree courses, Schools of Specialisation and Level I and II Masters courses in the field of history and art.