Italian schools begin remedial exams amid regional infrastructure gaps

High school students in Italy are beginning remedial exams to address academic debts from the previous school year. Approximately 17.7% of students, or nearly one in six, are undergoing these evaluations. While a single failing grade can result in repeating a year, data indicates that over 90% of these students successfully pass, with only about 8% facing definitive failure.

As the new academic year approaches, school returns will be staggered, starting in Bolzano on September 7 and concluding in Puglia by September 17. Recent years have seen improvements in school infrastructure, such as computer labs, cafeterias, and gyms, partly due to funding from the PNRR. Computer labs, for instance, nearly doubled from the 2020-21 period to the 2024-25 period.

Despite these improvements, significant regional disparities persist. In northern regions like Valle d’Aosta, 80% of schools have cafeterias, whereas in southern regions like Campania and Sicily, those figures drop to 22.5% and 17.1%, respectively. Similar gaps exist regarding gymnasiums and computer labs between the north and south of the country.