Italian courts expand eligibility for teacher training bonus

Italian courts are expanding the eligibility for the ‘Carta del docente’, a professional training bonus. The Prato Labor Court recently ordered the Ministry of Education and Merit to pay a substitute teacher €2,000, covering four years of missed benefits. The judge ruled that excluding precarious staff creates inequality compared to permanent teachers, citing constitutional principles of equality and labor protection, as well as European Court of Justice precedents.

Furthermore, the Court of Cassation has ruled that educational staff, even those not performing traditional teaching duties, are entitled to the bonus. This decision overturns a previous Court of Appeal ruling that had favored the Ministry. While these rulings expand the pool of beneficiaries, they have contributed to a reduction in the individual bonus amount—from €500 to approximately €380—due to a fixed total fund, and have caused delays in the annual distribution of the benefit.