Technical sixth-form colleges are on their way

It is not just the 30 per cent cap on foreign pupils in the first years of school, which was again criticised yesterday by the opposition (‘a propaganda ploy’) and defended by Minister Giuseppe Valditara (‘let us put an end to ghetto classes and ensure that every pupil has the same opportunities to learn and grow’). The legislation also includes a package of measures which has attracted less political attention but is set to mark a real turning point in the Italian school system. We are talking about the renaming of technical and vocational schools, which from now on will be called, respectively, ‘technological lyceums’ and ‘vocational lyceums’, thus bringing Italia closer to what is already the norm in many European countries, such as France and Germany.

This is not merely a linguistic choice. In the age of technological humanism, the new designation aims to recognise the ‘equal cultural and educational dignity’ of technical and vocational courses within the national education system and highlights their strategic role in developing the skills required for the country’s innovation and development processes. ‘At last, we are putting an end to a long-standing form of discrimination, which reserved the path to grammar schools for the children of wealthy families,’ emphasised Renato Brunetta, economist and president of the CNEL. ‘In the face of the advance of artificial intelligence, the answer lies in human intelligence, which has also developed over time as the “intelligence of the hands”. Overcoming these entrenched attitudes means social mobility for all and greater development for the country.’

It was precisely at the instigation of Minister Valditara that, a major overhaul of technical and vocational education programmes began in September, and the new, innovative 4+2 training pathway (four years of upper secondary school plus two years at ITS Academies) has now been incorporated into the national curriculum, with over 20,000 students already enrolled in the four-year programmes.

The decree approved by the Government on Thursday increases funding by 10 million for the ‘Fund for the promotion of campuses within the technological and vocational education sector’, and revises the timetable frameworks for technical colleges, specifically to ensure a smooth start: the general education stream will comprise 1,221 hours in the first two years, 990 hours in the second two years, and 462 hours in the final year. At the same time, the total number of hours for the ‘flexible’ area – in both the economic and the technological-environmental sectors – rises to 891 hours in the first two years, 1,122 in the second two years, and 528 in the final year.

The text also highlights the role of ITS Academies (the ‘+2’ component of the new training pathway). Until 2028, the public administration will be able to recruit young graduates on a permanent basis and, in the information and communication technologies sector, ITS Academy graduates – even those without a degree – up to a limit of 10 per cent and 15 per cent of recruitment quotas respectively. The aim is to strengthen technological, digital and IT skills within the public sector. For regions and local authorities, the existing 20 per cent quota will continue to apply for the same period. ITS graduates follow specific training programmes and, upon completion of their qualifications, may be offered permanent positions.