Continuing professional development (CPD) of educators in public ECEC settings for children aged less than three years is regulated by the national labour contracts that can be integrated at local level through agreements with the relevant trade unions. Due to the variety of regulations, CPD of educators in public ECEC settings cannot be described in detail in the following sections.

CPD of teachers in State schools, included the ECEC settings for children aged three years and over, is regulated at central level and in the national labour contracts.

Organisational aspects

The collective labour contract for school staff establishes that CPD is a both a right and a professional duty for teachers, as CPD contributes to the development of their professional life. The legge 107/2015, and the subsequent D.Lgs. 59/2017, have established that CPD of teachers, is compulsory, continuing and structural.  

Each school defines CDP activities, also establishing networks with other schools in their territory. Activities must be consistent with the Three-year educational offer plan (Piano Triennale per l'offerta formativa – PTOF) of the school, with the self-evaluation report and the improvement plans of schools. They also must comply with the priorities indicated annually by the Ministry in charge of education, at present called Ministry of education and merit (Ministero dell'istruzione e del merito – MIM).

In its most recent policy act (Atto di indirizzo 2024), the Ministry of education has given priority to the initial training and continuing professional development of teachers and of all school staff, as key features for improving and innovate the education system and to help schools face social, cultural and economic changes. Special attention is given to the continuation of the teacher recruitment plan, to updating the teaching methods of STEM teachers and to ensuring the authority of teachers by reviewing, for example, the measures for assessing student behaviour with a view to more responsible participation in school life.

CPD covers also digital competences and the critical and responsible use of digital devises. Training initiatives are generally not part of the teaching timetable and teachers have the right to five days with exemption from service during the school year to participate in training initiatives.

In addition to compulsory CPD, legge 79/0222 has introduced a professional development system, scheduled every three years, which gives teachers the opportunity of acquiring competences useful for practicing innovative methods of teaching. Training is voluntary for teachers already working with a permanent contract and is mandatory for newly hired teachers. CPD activities are conducted outside the working hours and teachers may receive an economic compensation upon positive assessment of three consecutive training schedules or, as an alternative, be granted 5 days off for carrying out CPD activities. The newly established Higher school for education (Scuola di alta formazione dell'istruzione – SAFI) is committed with the definition of this training system, with providing guidelines as well as with the accreditation and monitoring of structures providing courses (D.Lgs 59/2017, as amended by legge 79/2022 and DM 113/2024).  

Incentives for participation in continuing professional development (CPD) activities

In order to help teachers in their CPD activities, law 107/2015 foresees a financial support delivered in the form of an electronic card. The card is personal and not transferable and is destined to permanent full-time and part-time teachers working in state schools, included teachers in their induction period. The Ministry of education and the Ministry of finance have defined the criteria and methods for the attribution of the card. Every year, each teacher will receive a maximum of 500 € for:

• purchasing books, magazines, hardware and software,
• attending courses offered by accredited bodies or by higher education institutions,
• attending cultural events (representations, movies, live events) and visit museums and exhibitions,
• carrying out activities consistent with the three-year educational plan of the school and with the National training plan.

The sum is not considered an ancillary retribution and it is not taxable. Within the end of August of each year, teachers must send the statement of expenses for CPD activities to their school administration that make them available to auditors. In case of late or incomplete documentation, unjustified costs are recovered from the sum allocated to the teacher the following year.

Legge 79/2022 has introduced a voluntary CPD that leads, upon a positive assessment of three consecutive training schedules, to a one-off pay element of an ancillary nature, established by the collective bargaining at school level. Amounts are taken from the funds each school has at its disposal for improving the educational offer. As an alternative to remuneration, teachers may be granted 5 days to attend training during working hours (DM 113/2024). 

Contents revised: November 2024