Human Capital for Growth: Possible Steps Towards an Upgrade of the Italian Education System

Abstract

The problems of Italyi?½s education system mostly stem from its modus operandi and interactions with the expectations of families and students. The recent signs of improvement in Italian studentsi?½ proficiency, plausibly reflecting greater emphasis on rigour, could be reinforced by making schools more autonomous and accountable, including in matters of staff management, and with a nationwide programme of support for the schools in greatest difficulty. The cost savings obtained over the years should mostly be reinvested into the system, enhancing teachersi?½ professionalism. In higher education, the increasing supply of degree courses has not affected the typical problems of Italyi?½s public universities, which: still attract few researchers and students from abroad; are too undifferentiated and unspecialized; have a predominantly local teacher and student base. The renewal begun with the recent university reform, which has challenged the historically self-referential governance of the system, must stimulate more internal competition within the Italian university system with well-defined and stable rules to foster quality and reward merit, and it must also allow individual universities more autonomy so that a more differentiated supply structure can emerge.