In Brief (TL;DR)
The introduction of tutor and guidance teachers raises questions about the adequacy and effectiveness of the ministerial training programs, placing the preparation for these new key roles at the center of the debate.
An in-depth analysis of the ministerial training programs to assess their strengths and areas for improvement.
A detailed analysis to understand if the training tools offered are truly adequate to support teachers in their new and complex role.
The devil is in the details. 👇 Keep reading to discover the critical steps and practical tips to avoid mistakes.
The Italian school system has introduced two new professional roles: the tutor teacher and the guidance teacher. Established by Ministerial Decree 328 of December 22, 2022, these roles were created with an ambitious goal: to guide students in their future choices and combat school dropout rates. This is one of the key reforms outlined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), a decisive step to align our education system with present-day challenges. The aim is to build a solid bridge between the world of school and the subsequent stages of life, whether university or the workforce.
However, the introduction of these roles raises a crucial question: is the training provided for these teachers truly sufficient to prepare them for such a complex and delicate task? Analyzing the training paths, required skills, and emerging issues is essential to understand if this innovation can deliver on its promises. In a context like Italy’s, poised between a strong educational tradition and the need to innovate, and influenced by a Mediterranean culture where the family plays a central role in young people’s choices, the issue becomes even more defined and urgent.
The Context of the Reform: PNRR and New Challenges for Schools
The creation of the tutor and guidance teacher is not a random choice, but a strategic response to specific needs identified at the European and national levels. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has allocated significant funds to the education sector with clear objectives: to reduce the school dropout rate, which in Italy remains above the European average, and to improve active guidance during the transition from school to university or the world of work. The goal is to equip students with the tools to make more informed choices, enhancing their individual talents and potential.
These professional roles are at the heart of a 250-million-euro investment aimed at eventually involving about one million students. The ministerial guidelines emphasize the need for a “lifelong learning and training process” to accompany the student’s entire life project. The tutor and guidance teacher thus become the main actors in a change that aims to make school not just a place of learning, but also a laboratory for proactively and knowledgeably building one’s future.
The Ministerial Training: Structure and Content
To prepare teachers for these new tasks, the Ministry of Education and Merit, in collaboration with INDIRE, has designed a specific training program. It is a 20-hour asynchronous online course. This model was chosen to ensure flexible and consistent access across the country. The training is structured in modules that cover various subject areas, designed to provide the basic skills needed to perform the new role.
The content ranges from the use of new digital tools, such as the Unica platform and the E-Portfolio, to elements of guidance-oriented teaching. The E-Portfolio, in particular, is a central tool that the tutor must help the student complete to document their educational path, acquired skills, and personal reflections. The 20-hour INDIRE training also focuses on analyzing data related to post-high school educational offerings and job market trends to support students and families with concrete information.
Strengths: A Step in the Right Direction?
Despite the criticism, the introduction of a standardized training program for tutors and guidance teachers represents a significant step forward for the Italian school system. For the first time, an attempt is being made to structure a guidance support function on a large scale, moving beyond fragmented local initiatives. The choice of a national training model ensures that all participating teachers start from a common knowledge base and share a uniform language and operational tools, such as the Unica platform.
Another undeniable strength is the emphasis on digital innovation. The introduction and use of the E-Portfolio encourage teachers and students to document and reflect on their learning journey in a structured and modern way. This tool, if used well, can promote self-assessment and awareness of one’s skills—fundamental abilities for navigating a complex world. The training, despite its brevity, provides an initial, essential framework for tackling an ambitious reform, laying the groundwork for future in-depth study.
Emerging Criticisms: Sufficient Training or Just a Smattering?
The main criticism raised by many concerns the duration of the training program. Many experts, unions, and teachers themselves believe that 20 hours are insufficient to develop the complex psychological, pedagogical, and relational skills that an effective tutor must possess. A common objection is that an asynchronous online course cannot replace hands-on training, interactive workshops, and on-the-job supervision—essential elements for learning to manage the complex dynamics of a guidance interview.
Another weakness relates to the content. The training focuses heavily on technical tools, like digital platforms, but risks neglecting crucial aspects. For example, it doesn’t always provide concrete strategies for engaging with families, managing the emotional resistance of adolescents, or gaining in-depth knowledge of the changing job market and post-high school educational offerings. Without a proper toolkit and resources for success, the risk is that the tutor becomes a mere bureaucrat filling out forms, rather than a true guide for the student.
Comparison with Europe: What Can We Learn?
A look at the education systems of other European countries reveals very different approaches to the role of the guidance counselor. In nations like Germany, France, or the Scandinavian countries, school guidance is often entrusted to dedicated professionals with specific university training in psychology, educational sciences, or career counseling. These experts are not subject teachers who are given an additional task, but specialized figures who work full-time within the school or in connected service centers.
In these contexts, training is not limited to a short course but involves bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, followed by supervised internships. The “European Schools,” for example, have a two-year course to train guidance teachers. This model ensures deeper skills and a more structured approach. The comparison suggests that the Italian model, while a start, could benefit from evolving towards greater professionalization, perhaps through post-graduate specialization programs for those who intend to dedicate themselves to this role in a more stable and in-depth manner.
Tradition and Innovation: The Teacher’s Role in the Mediterranean Context
The role of the tutor teacher fits into a cultural context, that of Italy and the Mediterranean, where the teacher is traditionally an authoritative figure. This reform values that tradition but projects it into an innovative dimension, asking the teacher to also take on the roles of mentor and coach. It is a delicate balance: maintaining the traditional educational function while integrating it with new skills in listening, dialogue, and personalizing pathways.
In this scenario, the relationship with families takes on strategic importance. In Mediterranean culture, decisions about a child’s future are often a family affair, with expectations and pressures that the tutor must know how to understand and manage. Effective training should therefore prepare teachers to mediate, facilitate dialogue, and support not only the student but the entire family unit in the decision-making process. It becomes clear how, in guidance, the family is the key to a child’s future, and ignoring this dimension would mean compromising the effectiveness of the entire intervention.
Conclusions
The introduction of tutor and guidance teachers is, without a doubt, one of the most important innovations for the Italian school system in recent years, a necessary initiative to address the challenges of school dropout and to guide young people toward the future. The framework of the reform, supported by the PNRR, is ambitious and points in the right direction. However, the analysis of the ministerial training program leaves several questions open about its adequacy.
The 20 hours of online training, while providing a uniform base and an introduction to digital tools, seem more like a starting point than a destination. To transform these new roles into real added value, it is essential to invest in continuous, more in-depth, and practical training. Specialization paths, in-person workshops, and the creation of communities of practice where teachers can exchange ideas and grow professionally are needed. Training cannot be a one-time event; it must become an ongoing process, capable of providing tutors with the complex skills necessary to effectively shape our students’ futures.
Frequently Asked Questions
The training, managed by the INDIRE platform, consists of a 20-hour asynchronous online course. The program is divided into six modules covering topics such as the meaning of guidance, future professions, the tertiary education system, and the use of the “Unica” digital platform and the student’s E-portfolio. This training is preparatory and mandatory to be appointed by the School Principal.
There are many doubts and criticisms regarding the adequacy of the training. Several unions and teachers believe that a 20-hour online course, sometimes completed in a single day, is insufficient for such a complex role. The main criticisms highlight the lack of practical preparation for facing the real challenges of dialogue with students and families and an excessive focus on theoretical aspects and the use of digital tools.
The Tutor Teacher is responsible for supporting groups of students (from 30 to 50) in their personal and educational growth. Specifically, they help students develop their skills and compile the E-portfolio, a kind of digital resume that documents the student’s journey. The Guidance Teacher, on the other hand, has a more strategic function at the school level: they are responsible for creating a bridge between the school path and the world of work or university, providing data and organizing guidance initiatives.
Compensation is a lump sum determined through internal negotiation at each school, but it must adhere to a minimum and maximum range set by the Ministry. For the Tutor Teacher, the gross compensation for the 2023/24 school year ranged between €2,850 and €4,750, while for the Guidance Teacher, it was between €1,500 and €2,000. The exact amount depends on criteria defined by the school, such as the number of students supervised. Recently, there has been controversy over a reduction in the national funds allocated for the 2024/25 year.
The main criticisms concern several aspects. First, the training is considered too short and theoretical. Second, unions and some teaching staff complain that these new roles overlap with tasks already performed by class coordinators, creating fragmentation and an increased workload without adequate recognition. Finally, there is concern about the project’s sustainability, which is tied to funding (like that from the PNRR) that may not be stable over time.
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