Another 40 million go to the construction of innovative schools. Bianchi: "Approximately 2,6 billion authorized since the beginning of the mandate"
New resources for school building interventions are on the way. The Ministry of Education has in fact published, in recent days, two Notices that make funds available to the local authorities of the Central-Southern Regions for the safety of school canteens and gyms and for the construction of innovative schools. Objective of funding, a greater diffusion of full-time, physical activity and the contrast of the phenomenon of depopulation of small municipalities.
The local authorities that can participate in the procedures are those of the Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily regions. Specifically, the first Notice allocates 130 million to the safety of school canteens and gyms, as well as the adaptation of existing play areas and sports facilities for educational use. The second, on the other hand, frees 40 million to finance the construction of innovative schools in municipalities with a population of less than 5.000 inhabitants.
“We immediately wanted to accelerate - declares the Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi - to quickly assign resources for school buildings and start construction sites as soon as possible. Since the beginning of our mandate, we have authorized about 2,6 billion, a considerable amount of resources for the safety of the structures and also to rethink the places of learning. With these new measures we will be able to respond to situations of greater difficulty, strengthen full time and make the school more and more a garrison for the community. We are working in a strategic way, using all the funds we already have on the table and planning the best actions to be carried out with the PNRR, with the aim of guaranteeing equal opportunities to all female students and to all students ”.
The Minister of Education has also signed a decree for an INAIL investment 50 million for the construction of innovative schools in inland areas and the decree for the identification of the criteria for the allocation of 12,5 million, as an annual fee for the eight per thousand for urgent interventions. The Ministry will publish the relevant notices in the coming days.
The 130 million for gyms and school canteens
The Notice makes 130 million available that can be used to finance two types of interventions: the adaptation and safety of existing gyms, play areas and sports facilities for educational use and the adaptation, implementation safety and the preparation of school canteens. In the first case, the maximum funding amount will be 350.000 euros, in the second 200.000 euros.
Each Municipality of the eight Regions concerned can present a maximum of two applications for two different school buildings, while the Provinces and Metropolitan Cities can present up to four applications and four projects. The deadline to apply for the call is set at 15 pm on 5 August 2021.
The 40 million INAIL for new schools in municipalities with less than 5.000 inhabitants
The second Notice concerns the financing of interventions for the construction of innovative schools in Municipalities with a population of less than 5.000 inhabitants included in the territories of the Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily regions. The deadline is set at 15 pm on 6 August 2021.
The announcement stems from the desire to offer adequate services to smaller municipalities, avoid their depopulation and strengthen the role of the school in these realities.
In fact, applications will be evaluated on the basis of criteria such as the number of female students or the index of territorial deprivation.
The Municipalities that will receive the funding will have to draw up the executive design and then transfer the area to INAIL which will verify and validate the executive project. INAIL will purchase the area and proceed with the procurement of the works and the subsequent construction of the school which will become the property of INAIL. The Ministry of Education will pay the rents for a period of 30 years for the amortization of the investment costs incurred by INAIL itself.
2,6 billion authorized since the beginning of the mandate
The Ministry started immediately with the authorization of approximately 2,6 billion for school building interventions, with the aim of speeding up the procedures and giving prompt responses to school communities, families and territories. In fact, already on 10 March, 1.125 million euros were assigned for safety measures for 653 secondary schools of the second degree of provinces and metropolitan cities, while on 23 March it was the turn of nursery schools and preschools. , for which 700 million were authorized. In addition, 500 million euros were also assigned for the safety of schools included in the three-year program, 50 million euros for the construction of innovative schools in internal areas, 40 million for energy efficiency, 12,5 million eight per thousand euro of funds for urgent interventions.