Approximately 8 million students are ready to return to school for the new 2026/2027 academic year. Classes will not resume at the same time across the country, but rather on a distinct schedule determined by each region. More than 22,000 students from Italian-language schools in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano were the first to return to class on September 6th, ringing the first bell. Next to reopen their school gates will be the Autonomous Province of Trento, Valle d’Aosta and Veneto. For the vast majority of the country, however, the official start of school activities is set for the second half of the month, with reopening centered between September 14th and 16th. Puglia will be the last region to complete the return-to-school cycle, with students returning to class on 17 September.