Nursery schools, ok on the 820 million euro floor: 55 thousand new places with precedence to municipalities under the average

A new call to increase places in the nursery schools and kindergartens for the next school year2025-2026. To establish it the decree of revision of the PNRR revision approved by the Council of Ministers of Friday 28 March. On the plate almost 820 million euros, as explained by the Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara at the press conference. Fundamental resources to increase the number of places available to families.

Draft

As stated in the text in Article 3 « the use of resources up to a maximum amount of € 819,69.113 » with « the calling of a new call (by the Ministry of Education and merit, editor’s note) for the selection of the projects relating to the nursery schools needed to achievement of the final goal of the measure «  and « the scrolling of the rankings still available at the outcome of the procedure started ». It is estimated that with this new announcement local authorities can have available 55 thousand new places. As explained by Valditara, local authorities will therefore be able to apply to obtain funding for the strengthening of services. In the selection it will be given precedence to the Municipalities which are below the average of 33% of coverage of the service for nursery schools.

The problem of kindergartens in Italy

In Italy that of nursery schools is a concrete problem. According to 2024 data, the places available in nursery schools and supplementary services for early childhood, public or private are Only 366 thousand, leaving about 850 thousand boys and girls outside. The offer proves insufficient compared to the needs and below the objective of at least 33% of coverage imposed by the EU as a minimum level. Italy aims to reach this threshold by 2027 but the challenge is the long term: the subsequent European goal involves reaching 40% by 2030.