Many of us have attended or are attending schools that have significant structural fragilities. Here, the numbers that tell of an emergency much more extensive than the individual episodes that end up in the news, even if unfortunately they are talked about when roofs collapse, for example, as in the case of the Diaz school in Rome.
According to the latest report by Cittadinanzattiva, in the last year there have been 71 episodes of collapses or collapses in schools, with 19 injuries. But the most alarming fact is that thousands of buildings still lack minimum safety certifications.
Many school buildings date back to over half a century ago, built in times when anti-seismic regulations were non-existent or in any case very different from today’s rules. Today, these buildings have not only not been upgraded, but often do not even receive routine maintenance.
The picture of Italian school buildings remains bleak: half of the structures need urgent interventions, many have not passed the static testing or do not have fire safety certification, and only a small part has been subjected to anti-seismic works.
False ceiling collapses at Diaz high school in Rome: school evacuated, security alarm returns
Another collapse, another school, once again a near tragedy. This time it happened in Rome, at the Armando Diaz Higher Institute, in the Quadraro district. On October 17, just before entering the classroom, a false ceiling collapsed. No injuries, fortunately. But the episode has obviously put the spotlight back on the state of structural degradation affecting hundreds of school buildings throughout Italy.
According to the latest report by Cittadinanzattiva, in the last twelve months there have been 71 incidents of collapses or collapses in Italian schools, with 19 injured. Numbers that tell of a chronic emergency, far beyond individual news events.
Faced with this scenario, the association asked the Government to establish a three-year fund of 3 billion euros to make school buildings safe.
The president of the Lazio ANP, Cristina Costarelli, recalled that maintenance is the responsibility of local authorities, while school directors can only report critical issues, without any operational power.
And to underline the seriousness of the situation, the national president of the National Association of Principals, Antonello Giannelli, also intervened, speaking of a “intolerable paradox”: a country that invests in artificial intelligence but leaves students and teachers to study in structures that are falling apart.
The most disturbing fact, after all, is precisely this: safety in Italian schools often seems to be left to chance. And the false ceiling that collapsed at Diaz, a few minutes before the start of lessons, confirms it. This time it went well.
Schools, a fragile heritage despite funding. The Pnrr is not enough
On the funding front, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Pnrr) has put 12 billion euros on the table for school construction, distributed between Missions 2 and 4.
An impressive commitment, at least on paper:
- 207 new school buildings (of which only 12 have already been completed);
- over 3,200 interventions in nurseries and nursery schools;
- 1,758 new canteens;
- 3,143 safety works;
- energy redevelopment and 412 new gyms.
Added to these is the contribution of the 8xmille, which in 2024 allocated 59.1 million euros to Italian schools, almost tripling the figure for 2023. A breath of fresh air, certainly, but not enough. According to Cittadinanzattiva, this is a positive signal, but still far from responding to the real extent of the problem: an old, fragile and among the most obsolete building heritage in Europe.
According to the latest report by Cittadinanzattiva, to make Italian schools safe, at least a three-year fund of 3 billion euros would be needed, to be added to the 12 billion already allocated by the Pnrr. In short, the numbers are there. But they walk slower than cracks in walls.
