Main trends in youth participation in education and training

In the 2023-2024 school year, Italy’s public schools enrolled 7.194.400 students. Among them, 311.201 were students with disabilities, a number that has shown a steady increase in recent years (Focus 2023-24 Ministry of Education). The number of foreign students reached 869.336.

Regarding the regional distribution of students across different types of courses, Lombardia has the highest number of students enrolled in technical institutes (141.806), Emilia Romagna led in professional enrolments (72.318) and Campania had the largest number of students attending lyceums (164.020).

Recent data from ISTAT (2023) provide important insights into Italy’s educational and training landscape. Key findings include:

1. Early School Leaving: the percentage of early school leavers is declining. In 2023, 10.5% of young people aged 18-24 left education early, approaching the European target of 9%. This improvement is particularly noticeable in  the North-West and Central Regions and is more significant among girls. However, the dropout rate remains higher for males (13.1%) compared to females (7.6%), with Sardinia showing especially high rates among males (23.4%)​.

2. NEETs: the share of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training)  declined. In 2023, 16.1% of young people aged 15-29 were NEETs, down from 19.% in 2022.

3. Youth Educational Attainment: The level of educational attainment among  young people aged 25-29 improved. In 2023, over 35% had completed tertiary education, reflecting efforts to improve access to higher education and vocational training​.

4. Italy faces significant regional inequalities in educational outcomes, with Northern Regions generally achieving better results than those in the South. These inequalities contribute to unequal access to education and training.

Organisation of the education and training system

The education system is structured across several levels: preprimary, primary, secondary (lower and upper), post-secondary and tertiary education.

Compulsory education lasts 10 years, from age 6 to 16, and includes the five years of primary education, three years of lower secondary education and the first two years of upper secondary education. These final two years can be completed either in a state upper secondary school or through the regional vocational education and training system (Istruzione e formazione professionale – IeFP). 

Local authorities organise the offer at local level (e.g. maintenance of premises, merging or establishment of schools, transport of pupils) from Early Childhood Education and Care (Educazione e cura della prima infanzia) to upper secondary education. Tertiary education includes pathways offered by universities, by Higher education for the fine Arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica – AFAM) and pathways offered by Higher Technological Institutes (Istituti Tecnici Superiori – ITS).

In addition, specific training programmes are implemented within Penitentiary Institutions and the Juvenile Justice Services, targeting both adults and minors, under a dedicated national programme.
 

Main concepts

According to Art. 33 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic “The Republic guarantees the freedom of the arts and sciences, which may be freely taught. The Republic lays down general rules for education and establishes state schools of all branches and grades. Entities and private persons have the right to establish schools and institutions of education, at no cost to the State. The law, when setting out the rights and obligations for the non-state schools which request parity, shall ensure that these schools enjoy full liberty and offer their pupils an education and qualifications of the same standards as those afforded to pupils in state schools. State examinations are prescribed for admission to and graduation from the various branches and grades of schools and for qualification to exercise a profession. Higher education institutions, universities and academies have the right to establish their own regulations within the limits laid down by the law”.

According to Art. 34 of the Italian Constitution “Schools are open to everyone. Primary education, given for at least eight years, is compulsory and free of tuition. Capable and deserving pupils, including those lacking financial resources, have the right to attain the highest levels of education. The Republic renders this right effective through scholarships, allowances to families and other benefits, which shall be assigned through competitive examinations”.

Furthermore, according to the same article, entities and private persons shall have the right to establish schools and institutions of education, at no cost for the State. Independent schools which obtain the parity to State schools are called scuole paritarie.

In Italy, over the past decade, the validation of non-formal and informal learning has gained increasing attention, culminating in 2021 with the adoption of the National Guidelines for the national competence certification system.

The need for national validation policies in Italy became evident with Law 92/2012 which called for the creation of a national system for the certification and validation of non-formal and informal learning, laying the foundation for Italy’s lifelong learning strategy. 

This was followed by Legislative Decree 13/2013, which outlined the structure of the national system, defining general rules, minimum service standards, and essential levels of performance for the identification, validation, and certification of competences acquired outside formal education.

Despite these important developments, the current situation still lacks a unified and coherent approach. While the system has been formally adopted by key national and regional actors, implementation remains fragmented due to the decentralised nature of the Italian governance system.

For additional information please refer to Eurydice 2.1 and 8.5.