Digital, allocation of over 100 million euros for investments in laboratories, tools, teacher training and enhancement of the skills of female students
Over 100 million euros for the digital school, for investments aimed at the creation of laboratory spaces, the purchase of tools for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the enhancement of students' digital skills through the use of methodologies innovative teaching and training of school staff. It is the package of resources allocated to implement the National Digital School Plan contained in the Decree (for 66 million) signed in recent days by the Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi and public notices (for a total of 35 million) for training of the teachers. In their distribution, attention will be paid to the areas with the greatest school dropout and to the contexts where there are greater weaknesses linked to learning. The schools received today the note on resources and their distribution.
“With this intervention of over 100 million we aim to increase the digital skills of female students and students. New laboratories and STEM spaces will allow you to work and learn with innovative teaching methodologies. The resources allocated are essential to design our school beyond the pandemic ”, comments the Minister of Education, Patrizio Bianchi.
Laboratory spaces and digital tools for STEM
The sum of 51.700.000 euros has been allocated to provide educational institutions with laboratory spaces and digital tools suitable for supporting curricular learning and teaching STEM disciplines. The resources will be allocated to schools following a public selection procedure. It will be possible to design dedicated environments or equip the interior spaces of the classrooms with specific technologies. For example, digital tools can be acquired for teaching the principles of programming, coding, artificial intelligence; for observation, study and research in the sciences; for laboratory teaching of mathematics; for the design and creation according to making techniques.
The other resources
With the decree, 8.184.000 euros are then allocated to enhance the actions for educational and digital innovation in schools, through the involvement of digital animators. Also allocated 4.189.056 euros to enhance the digital skills of female students through innovative teaching scenarios and methodologies, also promoted by networks of schools, capable of creating digital curricula, with particular reference to digital teaching and STEAM (Science, Technology , Engineering, Mathematics and Arts). 1.500.000 euros are then allocated to the fourth edition of the National Digital School Award, to encourage the development of best practices on the theme of innovative and digital teaching. These actions contained in the decree also include those on the training of school staff, with 10.000.000 euros allocated for training on innovative teaching methodologies, and 25.000.000 euros of PON funds for the training of digital animators and the team for innovation on the issues of digital inclusion, cybersecurity and media education.
With a further decree of the Minister, 2.000.000 euros were also allocated for the Valle d'Aosta and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano to provide students with digital devices on free loan for integrated digital teaching.