Istat report shows declining Italian student competencies

The latest Bes report from Istat reveals a significant decline in basic academic skills among Italian middle school students. Data indicates that 43.1% of students fail to reach minimum proficiency in Italian, while 45.5% struggle in mathematics. Experts note that these proficiency levels have not returned to pre-pandemic standards since 2021, with the most pronounced difficulties observed among students in Southern Italy and foreign-born students.

In contrast to the decline in academic performance, the report highlights a historic achievement regarding school dropout rates. The percentage of early leavers—young people aged 18 to 24 who leave school without further qualification—has fallen to 8.2%. This figure is below the European Union's 9% target set for 2030, marking a record low for Italy.