Giuseppe Valditara issues new Italian school homework guidelines

Italian Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara has issued new guidelines for the 2026/2027 school year aimed at regulating homework and testing schedules. The directive emphasizes that homework should be used as a tool to consolidate learning and foster student autonomy, but must be assigned with balance to avoid excessive workloads.

Key provisions include requiring homework to be assigned within school hours using paper diaries. The ministry aims to prevent the practice of posting assignments on electronic registers late in the afternoon, during evenings, or over weekends, which forces families to constantly monitor updates.

Additionally, the note calls for collegial planning of assessments to prevent multiple tests from being scheduled on the same day, ensuring a more balanced distribution of work throughout the week. School principals are encouraged to oversee these guidelines and promote the use of paper diaries alongside electronic registers to help students manage their responsibilities more independently.