Cross-curricular skills in schools: 443 projects approved

A three-year pilot scheme to introduce the development of non-cognitive and cross-curricular skills into school curricula is now underway. The Technical Committee, appointed by the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM) to assess the project proposals submitted by educational institutions, has recently concluded its work, ‘as a result of which 443 project proposals have been approved’. This was stated by the Minister for Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, during Question Time in the Chamber of Deputies.

The Minister responsible for Viale Trastevere has announced that a ministerial decree authorising the pilot scheme, which covers a total of 1,169 educational institutions , will be issued shortly. Thereafter, the Technical-Scientific Committee, appointed under the same law, will draw up ‘specific guidelines setting out methodological and teaching guidelines, in line with the National Guidelines for the curriculum of nursery schools and the first cycle of education, the National Guidelines for upper secondary schools and the current Guidelines for technical and vocational colleges’.

The Committee itself, with the support of Invalsi and Indire, will also be responsible for the necessary monitoring, as well as for overseeing the progress of the national pilot scheme in schools.

As for the next steps, Valditara explained that a ministerial decree is also due to be issued “to establish the general criteria for conducting the pilot scheme within vocational education and training programmes, which must take into account the specific nature of this segment of our education system – in which, moreover, we are investing particularly heavily, thanks precisely to the ‘4+2’ reform’.

Furthermore – he added – ‘Aware of the importance of investing in teachers’ professional development to introduce non-cognitive and cross-curricular skills into the curriculum, the adoption of a special training programme for teachers in all educational institutions is imminent, and it will come into effect as early as the next academic year’.