Italy 2026‑27 education reforms

In late July 2026 Italy’s Ministry of Education released the official 2026‑27 school calendar, setting staggered start dates for regions between 7 September and 17 September and outlining a June‑end exam schedule. Two days later the ministry issued a policy address that placed the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) at the core of upcoming reforms, stressing tighter central control over funding, the rollout of AI‑based learning tools, staffing changes and the promotion of a “4+2” technical‑professional pathway, while pledging greater institutional autonomy but limiting regional input. The accompanying INVALSI report tracked a cohort of about 515,000 students, finding that 73.2 % reach the fifth year of upper secondary school, 11.5 % delay at least one year, 6.9 % enter vocational training and 7.3 % leave school early, and called for policies that address both explicit dropout and implicit competency gaps.

On 31 July the ministry reiterated these priorities in a formal policy brief, confirming the same reform agenda and statistical findings. By 3 August regional authorities had finalised the calendar, with the autonomous Province of Bolzano starting on 7 September and Puglia on 17 September, most regions beginning on 14‑15 September and the year ending in early June 2027. The municipality of Frosinone announced a local subsidy of up to €493.71 for secondary‑school students from low‑income households to cover textbooks, digital tools and notebooks, with applications due by 23 September, and introduced a provisional school‑transport service requiring a minimum of three students per line.