Bianchi: "Positive response resulting from shared work"
More 76% of applications submitted by municipalities for the public notice on nursery schools of the Pnrr Education in March. This is the result of the extension of the terms, from 28 February to 1 April, decided by the Ministry of Education, in agreement with that of the South and of the Family, to allow greater adhesion by local authorities to the call for a total value of 2,4 , XNUMX billion euros.
“In this month we have had a very positive response thanks to the work done with the other Ministries involved, with the Agency for Cohesion, with the Prefectures, with the Association of Municipalities - declares the Minister of Education, Patrizio Bianchi -. We have organized seminars, meetings, opened dedicated support lines and planned a specific communication campaign. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan is an unprecedented opportunity: we can make significant changes to our school system. But it is a collective action for which everyone's contribution and participation is needed ".
At the close of the asylum call, on 1 April, 1.676 applications were submitted for the 0 to 2 year bracket, compared to 953 that arrived on February 28, at the first deadline (+ 76% nationally). The five regions with the most applications presented in absolute terms are: Campania (196), Lombardy (157), Lazio (138), Calabria (137).
The amount of resources requested amounts to a total of approximately 2 billion euros out of the 2,4 available. The remaining 400 million will be immediately relocated. With a decree signed by the Minister of Education, in agreement with the Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, the Minister for the South, Territorial Cohesion and the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies will be allocated to further funding the candidacies. already received as part of the PNRR call for the increase of childhood centers for the 0-6 year range. Following this first operation, approximately 70 million still remaining will be the subject of a new tender for nursery schools for the Municipalities of the Southern Regions, with priority in Basilicata, Molise, Sicily, which have submitted fewer applications than the budget that could have been assigned to them based on the resources available in the Pnrr. For them there will be a further notice with deadline at the end of May, and the municipalities will be accompanied in the presentation of proposals with specific support actions.
All the resources of the Education Pnrr foreseen for the educational segment from 0 to 6 years will be used guaranteeing the share equal to 55,29% of the funds in favor of the South, higher than the 40% foreseen by the calls of the national Pnrr.
In particular, all the applications presented by the Municipalities of the Southern Regions are covered, both for nursery schools (age range 0-2) and for childhood centers (age range 0-6).
“With the decree that we have prepared following the results of the calls, the available resources will be allocated to the strengthening of the education system, maintaining the 55,29% share in the South, where the need is highest. We respect the commitments made with Europe: all available resources are used. Increasing the number of places in nursery schools means giving more educational opportunities for girls and boys throughout the territory, supporting families and female employment ”, concluded the Minister.