Radio pour les enfants et radio à L’école au temps du fascisme

During the twentieth century, one of the leading new technologies introduced into the classroom as an aid to teaching was radio. This new medium of communication began to establish itself across Europe and the United States in the early 1920s. In 1924, radio broadcasting commenced in Italy too; the country’s first radio station was launched in Rome, soon to be followed by others in cities across the peninsula. Research has shown the spread of radio to be one of the most significant events in contemporary history in terms of the impact of new technologies on societal change. In the case of Italy – but the same might be said of other European and non-European states – radio contributed, from the two decades of Fascism onwards, to the country’s transformation into a mass society. Given the key role played by radio, with its potential to penetrate into homes across the nation and its accessibility – unlike books or newspapers – to all, even the illiterate, it must be acknowledged that history of education scholars have paid scant attention to the medium, despite its contribution to shaping the "collective memory" of the nation. Studies on the origins of Italian radio have mentioned early interest in targeting children and schools, but few have examined this aspect in depth. The aim of the present research was thus to shed light on one stage in this history, and specifically the so-called twenty years of Fascism.