Lessons resume across Italy from 7 to 17 September
The first bell rings today, Monday 7 September, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, and the last on 17 September in Puglia. In between, over the course of ten days, pupils will gradually return to classrooms across Italy. On 10 September, lessons resume in Veneto, the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Aosta Valley; on 14 September in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piedmont and Umbria. On 15 September, it will be the turn of Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Sicily and Tuscany, whilst Abruzzo, Basilicata and Sardinia will start on 16 September. The school year will end, depending on the region, between 5 and 16 June 2027, whilst for nursery schools, activities will continue in most regions until 30 June.
A school system in flux
It is not just the dates on the calendar that are changing. The 2026–2027 academic year begins with a number of new developments affecting organisation, teaching and curricula, confirming the extent to which the school system is shaped by the major technological and social transformations of our time. Key themes for the school year include the new National Guidelines for the first cycle, the strengthening of STEM subjects, the increasingly structured integration of digital technology and artificial intelligence into teaching, and the evolution of technical and vocational education. Families’ choices also reflect a changing school system. According to enrolment figures released by the Ministry of Education and Merit, grammar schools account for 55.88 per cent of choices, technical colleges for 30.84 per cent and vocational colleges for 13.28 per cent, a slight increase compared with the previous year. Particularly significant is the growth of the 4+2 technology-vocational stream: enrolment in four-year courses has more than doubled, rising from 5,449 to 10,532 students. This is a sign of growing interest in pathways capable of linking school, higher education, innovation and the world of work.
Technology, creativity and awareness
The Fondazione Mondo Digitale supports schools, teachers, pupils and educational communities in developing digital, critical and creative skills, to understand and navigate the technological, social and economic transformations of the present. The programmes, designed in collaboration with schools, universities, businesses, institutions and third-sector organisations, integrate educational innovation, digital citizenship, artificial intelligence, cyber security, career guidance and the professions of the future. All activities are free of charge and designed with particular attention to diversity, accessibility and special educational needs. The Foundation is an organisation accredited by the Ministry of Education and Merit for the training of school staff and acts as a host organisation for ‘School-Work Training’ programmes.
Artificial intelligence enters the classroom
A significant part of the programme focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in schools, with courses aimed at teachers, headteachers, pupils and families to promote an informed, safe, inclusive and pedagogically sound use of new technologies.
The Foundation also supports the training hubs funded by the MIM, developing bespoke programmes that may include training for teachers, headteachers, ATA and DSGA staff, workshops with pupils, training for trainers and ambassador teachers, support for school governance, and the production of materials that can be replicated across school networks. Topics covered include: the AI Act, ministerial guidelines, the educational use of AI, inclusion, digital citizenship, formative assessment, accessibility, personalised learning and educational responsibility. The aim is to help transform these hubs into stable local centres of expertise and educational innovation.
Learning continues beyond the school gates
Digital education, however, is not limited to the hours spent in the classroom. To support children and young people as they grow, we need broader educational partnerships capable of involving families, carers, educators and all relevant adults. For this reason, the 2026–2027 programme also includes courses dedicated to parents, offering practical tools to understand the opportunities and risks of digital environments, promote wellbeing and safety, and strengthen intergenerational dialogue. Particular attention is also paid to those supporting children and young people with special needs, so that technology can become a means of accessibility, autonomy, participation and inclusion. The programme is complemented by practical resources already available to school communities, ranging from the Practical Guide to AI in Schools to the Personal Ecosystem Canvas, from the Pathway Companion platform to tools dedicated to digital citizenship. The start of a new school year is always a return: to classmates, teachers, classrooms and daily routines. But it is also a new starting point. And in a school system called upon to grapple with ever-faster transformations, learning means, above all, acquiring the tools to understand change, participate in it and help shape it.
