School, new qualification for middle and high school teachers: 51,000 places up for grabs

After a wait of almost two years, the new qualification to become a teacher in middle and high schools is truly ready to make its debut. For the 2023/24 academic year, a total of 51,753 places are available for the new courses envisaged by Decree Law 36 of 2022, which, in implementation of the NRP, introduced the obligation to possess 60 university or academic credits (Cfu if provided by universities, Cfa if managed by the Afam, ndr) in combination with a degree if one wants to qualify in a competition class and then attempt the path to a teaching post.

The final number of vacancies offered by universities and Afam, and for the first time linked to the need for teachers established by the Ministry of Education and Merit, is contained in a decree issued by the head of the Mur, Anna Maria Bernini. Which, with another decree, also defined the quota of places reserved, 45%, for precarious teachers who have held three years of teaching positions (even if not continuous) in the previous five years and for those who participated in the extraordinary selection introduced by Decree Law 73/2021. Within this quota, 5% is earmarked for holders of teaching contracts in the regions' vocational education and training courses.

As we have repeatedly reported on these pages, master's degree graduates, those enrolled in a master's or single-cycle course (provided they have already taken examinations amounting to 180 credits) will be able to enrol in the courses and seek to obtain the 60 Cfu/Cfa. There are 20 Cfu of direct and indirect practical training (each credit requires an in-presence commitment of at least 12 hours). Once the credits have been obtained (in the Pa-bis decree a rule has been included that will allow up to half of the Cfu to be obtained online in the first two years, ed.), students will have to pass a final exam consisting of a written paper and a 45-minute simulated lesson in which an innovative teaching activity is planned.

The decree signed by Bernini also regulates cases in which 30 Cfu or 36 Cfu must be obtained. The first hypothesis includes: precarious teachers with three years of substitution in the last five years, those who have passed the extraordinary teacher competition (but are not qualified) and those who, until 31 December 2024, can participate in the selection process having already acquired 30 Cfu. The other case mentioned, again until the end of 2024, concerns those who are in possession of 24 Cfu from the old system, and must therefore now complete them with the remaining 36. Those who are already qualified in another competition class or in support may obtain another qualification by acquiring 30 Cfu, without prejudice to their qualification.

The costs to reach 60 Cfu are set at EUR 2,500, for enrolled students and for those who already have the previous 24 Cfu it drops to EUR 2,000.