Napoli – “We have doubled the available positions, renovated the facilities, hired teachers, and eliminated precarious employment.”
Mayor Gaetano Manfredi makes no secret of the progress made in nursery school provision, but admits: "There's still a long way to go."
Presenting the school dropout data at the Prefecture, the mayor reviewed the administration's investments: "We started with an 8% coverage rate, now we're approaching 20%. This isn't yet the 33% required by Europe, but with the NRRP funding, we'll significantly exceed the 20% mark."
The anti-dispersion platform
Manfredi highlighted the municipal monitoring system, which notifies schools in real time of cases of prolonged absence or inconsistent attendance. "It's a highly qualified tool," he explained, "that allows us to intervene immediately and has revealed a patchy phenomenon: some neighborhoods are more critical than others, and tailored policies are needed."
Not just desks: welfare as an antidote
The mayor warned: "Dropout is not just a scholastic problem, but a social one. We need to address family issues, housing and employment challenges." Hence the focus on extracurricular activities—from sports to theater—and on strengthening local educational services: "These are tools for instilling values and inclusion. Because a child who drops out of school is a failure for the entire community."
What is missing for the turning point?
Despite the progress made, there are still issues to be resolved: the uneven distribution of services between the center and the peripheries and the need to keep pace with EU funds. But for the first time, Napoli has a plan – and the numbers – to try to turn things around.
Article published by A. Carlino on August 1, 2025, at 13:57 PM
Comments (2)
It's important that the mayor addressed school dropout, but it seems to me that the measures aren't enough to address the real problems facing families. More attention and resources are needed for the suburbs, not just the city center.
But how dare the Mayor say that the places in nursery schools have doubled... Savy Lopez nursery school, Arenella district, semi-weaned class, only 16 children taken compared to 24 last year.... And these would be the places doubled. But where does the mayor live, is he aware of the statements he makes????