School heads: Council of Ministers gives the go-ahead for the 2022–24 contract

The Council of Ministers has given its final approval to the National Collective Labour Agreement for the Education and Research Sector for the three-year period 2022–2024, specifically the section covering around 8,000 school heads.

The process of adopting the National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) is therefore in its final stages, representing a further significant strategic milestone for the ‘Education’ sector, achieved thanks to the decision by the Minister for Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, to move swiftly – as has already been done for teachers and ATA staff – to finalise the financial provisions and the main regulatory provisions for school heads.

The aim of this accelerated process was to ensure that the improvements achieved could be put into effect immediately and to restore the purchasing power eroded by inflation, thereby safeguarding the heads of educational institutions, who are called upon on a daily basis to manage increasingly significant organisational, administrative and educational responsibilities.

‘We are continuing our practical commitment to supporting those who lead our schools. We have fast-tracked the process to ensure immediate financial support and restore the central role of school leadership. The era of contractual deadlocks is definitively over. Our work does not stop here: the process has already been set in motion to finalise the Policy Framework as quickly as possible and to begin negotiations for the 2025–2027 three-year period, ensuring full contractual continuity for all staff within the national education system.” So said the Minister for Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara.

The decision to realign contractual terms remains a cornerstone of the Ministry’s strategy to address the genuine needs of school staff, with a view to safeguarding the right to education and promoting the country’s social and economic development.