The Italian Council of Ministers has approved a decree law enacting a significant reform of the high school final exam, the *maturità*. The Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, announced the changes outside Palazzo Chigi, stating the reforms will “profoundly modify the oral exam” and that “those who are unable to speak during the oral, those who do not regularly take the oral test, will fail.”
A key change involves renaming the school-to-work program. The cryptic acronym PCTO (Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e l’Orientamento) will be replaced with “school-to-work training” to emphasize the importance of this link in the educational path of young people.
The reform also makes the experimental “4+2” track, which splits high school into four years followed by two, an official part of the system where feasible. Minister Valditara clarified that the standard five-year track will not disappear but will be joined by the alternative pathway, noting nearly 10,000 students are already enrolled in the first two years of the 4+2 program.
The oral exam will be restructured to be “more serious and more serene.” The controversial discussion of a prepared thesis document, which caused student anxiety, is eliminated. Instead, the oral will focus on four specific subjects chosen in January. The examination committees will be reduced from seven to five members, generating savings that will be used for commissioner training and increased pay.
Minister Valditara also detailed a broader evaluation criteria for the oral exam. It will assess not only a student’s knowledge and skills but also their level of autonomy and responsibility demonstrated during their high school years and the exam itself. This includes consideration of extracurricular activities such as sports, cultural pursuits, and other meritorious actions that show a sense of responsibility and commitment.
In a separate announcement, Valditara confirmed €240 million has been allocated for a one-time payment into the contracts and salaries of school staff. Furthermore, €15 million saved from reducing the size of exam committees will be used to extend health insurance coverage to temporary teachers until June 30th.
The decree also introduces stringent new safety measures for transportation used on school trips. Valditara cited the requirement for assisted braking systems on buses, a measure he stated could have prevented recent tragic school trip accidents, and thanked Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and his ministry for their collaboration on this provision.