Competenze e ambienti per l’apprendimento. Programma Operativo Nazionale
| Name of the reform | Per la Scuola: competenze e ambienti per l’apprendimento. Programma Operativo Nazionale, National Operational Programme |
| Country | Italy |
| Year | 2014 |
| Educational level | ISCED 3 |
| Kind / type | Laws / regulation of access reform |
| Coverage | National |
Summary
The Programma Operativo Nazionale “Per la Scuola – competenze e ambienti per l’apprendimento” (PON Scuola) 2014-2020 was Italy’s national education programme funded by the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, aimed at improving educational quality, reducing early school leaving, and addressing regional inequalities. It supported investments in students’ skills, teacher training, digital technologies, school infrastructure, and administrative capacity, with a particular focus on less developed regions of Southern Italy.
Agenda Setting
Context:
The context for the introduction of the National Operational Programme 2014-2020 was to reduce early school leaving, decrease inequalities between Northern and Southern Italy, modernise school infrastructure, and improve the quality and effectiveness of the education system.
- High levels of early school leaving: In 2013, approximately 17% of Italians aged 18-24 left education and training prematurely. The situation was particularly problematic in Southern regions.
- Strong regional disparities: Southern regions consistently recorded weaker educational outcomes, poorer school infrastructure, and higher dropout rates. The programme was therefore not only an educational policy initiative but also an instrument of territorial cohesion, financed through European Structural and Investment Funds.
- Weak educational outcomes and skills mismatches: Italy had faced challenges related to relatively low levels of competencies among some groups of students and difficulties in the transition from education to employment.
- Modernisation of school infrastructure: A substantial proportion of Italian schools operated in ageing buildings, often poorly equipped in terms of digital technologies.
More details: https://www.mim.gov.it/pon_2014-2020
Aim:
The main objective of the National Operational Programme (NOP) was to enhance the equity and quality of the Italian education system, in line with the European Strategy for Education and Training (ET2020). More specifically, the programme sought to:
- Reduce early school leaving and improve educational attainment
- Increase equity and inclusion, particularly in disadvantaged areas
- Improve the quality of teaching and learning
- Strengthen links between education and the labour market
- Modernise school infrastructure and learning environments
- Enhance digitalisation and innovation in education
- Improve the efficiency and transparency of educational governance and administration
Target Groups
- Pre-school children and students in public pre-university education
- Children from disadvantaged, poor, rural, geographically isolated and socially vulnerable communities
- Schools with higher risks of exclusion and dropout
- Teachers, school leaders, educational institutions, local communities
Formulation and Implementation
Legislative documents:
The programme was established through the Programma Operativo Nazionale “Per la Scuola – competenze e ambienti per l’apprendimento” 2014-2020, adopted by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) and approved by the European Commission as Italy’s national operational programme for the implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) during the 2014-2020 programming period. It was developed within the framework of the EU Cohesion Policy and aligned with the Education and Training 2020 (ET2020) strategy.
Key actions / main measures:
As part of Italy’s Programma Operativo Nazionale “Per la Scuola – competenze e ambienti per l’apprendimento” for 2014-2020, Italy implemented a wide range of measures to improve the quality and accessibility of education and reduce early school leaving. The programme placed particular emphasis on supporting students at risk of educational exclusion and improving learning outcomes by developing students’ basic and transversal competences, including literacy, numeracy, science, digital skills, foreign language competences, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, active citizenship, and social and civic competences. Schools were encouraged to provide additional learning activities, tutoring, project-based learning, laboratory-based instruction, and extracurricular programmes designed to increase student engagement and reduce dropout risk.
The programme also funded teachers’ professional development, introduced innovative teaching methods, and invested in school infrastructure. School buildings were modernised, teaching laboratories were established, digital equipment was expanded, and access to information and communication technologies was improved. The programme further promoted the concept of “smart schools” that are innovative, flexible, and environmentally sustainable.
An additional focus was placed on strengthening the administrative capacity of the education system through the development of e-government solutions, enhanced transparency, and improvements to the national evaluation system. Greater transparency was promoted through digital management and monitoring systems that enabled schools, educational authorities, and stakeholders to track the allocation of funds, implementation of projects, and educational outcomes more effectively.
Schools were also encouraged to function as community hubs, supporting lifelong learning and fostering social inclusion within local communities.
These measures were particularly concentrated in the less developed regions of Southern Italy, where most programme funding was directed to reduce educational and territorial inequalities.
Evaluation and Sustainability
The National Operational Programme was accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation framework. It examined the programme’s impact on reducing early school leaving, improving students’ competencies, enhancing digital learning environments, supporting teachers’ professional development, and strengthening educational governance. The findings indicated positive effects in expanding educational opportunities for the target groups, modernising school infrastructure, and improving the quality and inclusiveness of the Italian education system. (Evaluation Plan PDF)
Transferability Potential
The programme offers a valuable model for countries seeking to improve educational equity, reduce dropout rates, modernise school infrastructure, and strengthen links between education and socio-economic development. Its combination of targeted support for disadvantaged groups, regional cohesion objectives, and system-wide educational improvement makes it particularly relevant for transfer to other contexts facing similar challenges.