Green light of the Chamber of Deputies to the Budget Law. The provision includes numerous provisions for schools with over 3,7 billion earmarked for this sector, of which 2,2 for current expenditure and over 1,5 for investments. From the new competition on support, to funding for school construction, to additional digital resources, to school sizing: there are several changes made to the text at Montecitorio, with the go-ahead from the Government. "The measure has made further important steps forward in the Chamber", comments the Minister of Education, Lucia Azzolina, "there are new interventions and allocations, all of which are aimed at offering ever greater quality to female students". The text now goes to the Senate for final approval.
The summary of the provision by themes
Support
The Budget Law provides for a multi-year plan for the employment of 25 support teachers, which will be accompanied by specific funds for the training of teachers on inclusion issues and for the purchase of additional teaching aids. With the changes made to the Chamber, the green light is then given to an innovative bankruptcy procedure to recruit specialized teachers on support. It will be a decree of the Minister of Education to regulate it. The competition will be held every two years. And, again every two years, the rankings can be integrated and the score of the candidates in the ranking will be updated on the basis of the new qualifications achieved in the meantime. In the Chamber, funding for equal schools that welcome pupils and pupils with disabilities has also been increased for 2021.
Digitization
The text foresees 40 million for digitization, together with further resources to strengthen administrative and didactic action in schools, also with the use of digital animators and new technologies. The territorial training teams of teachers, who deal with the implementation of the National Digital School Plan, are confirmed and strengthened to accelerate innovation processes in schools, promote staff training and enhance the skills of students on innovative teaching methodologies and on integrated digital teaching. With the amendments approved in the Chamber, 20 million euros were then allocated to grant for one year to less well-off students, on free loan for use, a mobile device with connectivity or a bonus of the same value.
School building
The maneuver provides over 1,5 billion for school buildings. With the amendments to the Chamber, the allocation of 1 million euros more for each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023 was envisaged for urgent school building interventions, with particular regard to the areas of greatest seismic risk, and the extension one year of commissioner powers to the Mayors of Municipalities and Metropolitan Cities and the Presidents of the Provinces for a rapid implementation of the interventions.
As part of INAIL's three-year real estate investment plan 2021-2023, 40 million are also earmarked for the construction of innovative schools in municipalities with a population of less than 5.000 inhabitants in the regions of Abruzzo, Campania, Molise, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia. The aim is also to counter the depopulation of the small municipalities of the South.
State exams
30 million euros are foreseen to be allocated to state and equal schools to ensure the correct execution of the State Exams for the school year 2020/2021 according to the health safety standards provided. It is also possible for the Minister of Education to adopt ordinances with specific measures for the assessment of learning and the carrying out of the related State Exams.
Sizing of educational institutions
The school sizing rules introduced years ago in the period of cuts change: for 2020/2021 the minimum number of 600 students, 400 in small islands and mountain municipalities, which schools must reach in order to have their own headmaster and director of General Administrative Services, is lowered to 500 and 300 students respectively. A measure to give a greater number of schools their own school head and a full-time DSGA, which is fundamental in managing the current emergency period.
Musical high schools
A 3 million euro fund is set up at the Ministry of Education to expand the educational offer in musical high schools, with the activation of jazz courses and new musical languages.
Kindergarten and 0-6 years old
The provision provides for 1.000 additional teachers to strengthen the educational offer in kindergarten and an additional allocation of 60 million for the 0-6 year range.
Higher Technical Institutes and dual system
For 2021, an additional 20 million is allocated to the Fund for higher technical education and training. Funds are increased by 55 million for 2021 and 50 million for 2022 for training courses aimed at apprenticeship for professional qualification and diploma, upper secondary education diploma and higher technical specialization certificate and training courses aimed at pathways for transversal skills and guidance.
Educational poverty
A national research plan, lasting 12 months, is foreseen for the fight against educational poverty. The Plan is promoted by the Ministry of University and Research, in agreement with the Ministry of Education, and is financed with 2 million for 2021.
Technical assistants
1.000 technical assistants are expected in the schools of the first cycle, figures always present in the second cycle, introduced in the first period of the emergency and now stabilized to support teachers and staff in the use of laboratories and technologies.
DSGA competition
The quota of eligible candidates in the competition rankings for Directors of General and Administrative Services is increased by eliminating the 50% limit. This measure increases the number of hires and the coverage of vacant posts.
Fragile workers
The provisions for the protection of workers and fragile workers, currently in force until 31 December, are extended to 28 February 2021. 53,9 million are allocated for the replacement of these workers.
Former Socially Useful Workers
The transformation of the contracts from part-time to full-time of 4.500 ex LSU school collaborators is expected. During the parliamentary passage, a further national recruitment phase was established, on the posts that will remain at the end of the procedures already activated and those in the process of being activated.
School leaders
An allocation of 25,8 million euros is foreseen in 2021 to be allocated to cover the higher expenses incurred in the 2019/2020 school year as a result of the ultra-activity recognized in the regional collective agreements for the 2016/2017 school year.
Italian schools abroad
In order to rationalize the competences concerning the Italian training system in the world, the competences, currently shared with the Ministry of Education, are returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.