Campania is set to lead an ambitious experiment on artificial intelligence in schools, involving around 15,000 students. The initiative is part of a protocol signed with the San Paolo Foundation and also includes dedicated training programs for teachers.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara announced the project in an interview with Corriere del Mezzogiorno, during the “Next Gen AI” summit — the first international conference on artificial intelligence in education, held in Naples.

Valditara explained that the project fits within a broader strategy to enhance technical and vocational institutes, aiming to develop the diverse talents of young people. “School-to-work training is essential to ensure job opportunities and decent wages in a short time,” he said. “Businesses are looking for skills and qualifications that are often lacking. Even the South, and Campania in particular, are now leading the way, as shown by the region’s record number of innovative start-ups. It’s time to change the old narrative of a lagging South.”

The minister also mentioned two pioneering schools in Calabria — in Reggio and Platì — that were the first to adopt AI for personalized learning. Among the regions most active in the new ‘4+2’ education model are Campania, Calabria, and Puglia, following Lombardy.

Addressing school dropout rates, Valditara pointed to significant improvements in southern Italy, thanks to the Agenda Sud and the Caivano Decree, and announced a national infrastructure plan covering 25% of school buildings — over 10,000 facilities, with 1,301 projects already underway in the South, accounting for 40% of total investments.

Finally, he commented on the ongoing debate over sexual education in schools, clarifying that biological and health-related topics are already part of the curriculum, while teaching gender theories remains a choice for families. The new civic education guidelines also include mandatory lessons on respect for women and, for the first time, education in empathy.