Compared to an average expense for school books which is around 500 euros a year and which exceeded 680 euros for those attending the first year of high school, when dictionaries must also be purchased in addition to textbooks, just 14 students out of 100 had access in the current school year to the so-called "School Book Bonus" provided by Regions and Municipalities, on the basis of state funding of 133 million.
Out of an audience of 4,152,491 thousand, just 589,196 students belonging to families with an income of less than 15,493.71 receive it.
The ISEE ceiling for accessing the contribution is established by the Regions and Municipalities which in some cases can add further funds.
Less well-off families, i.e. with an income of less than 15,493.71 euros per year, represent 13.4% at a national level, with peaks of 25.6% in Campania, 24.1 in Abruzzo, over 20% in Calabria and Sicily ( latest Istat data, 2020-2021).
Yet the ISEE range for accessing the bonus varies from region to region: Basilicata and Sardinia set the highest ISEE threshold at 20 thousand euros, thus widening the range of beneficiaries;
Abruzzo, Lazio and Umbria set it at a maximum of 15,493.71 euros;
slightly more (15,748.78 euros) in Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Molise and Veneto (the latter three, however, provide a greater contribution for those with an ISEE lower than 10,632.94 euros);
followed by Friuli Venezia Giulia where families with ISEE up to 14,000 euros can access the contribution, the same ceiling for Puglia where, however, for families with 3 or more children the ISEE can reach 14 thousand euros;
laCampania with 13,300 euros but with a greater contribution for those with less than 10,633 euros;
in Sicily, families with ISEE up to 10,632.94 euros can access the bonus.
In Calabria the maximum ceiling to access it - of only 6,000 euros ISEE until last year - has been raised to 15,748.78 euros thanks to a provision intended for 36 thousand Calabrian students for 16 million euros approved by the regional council under the regional FESR-FSE+ program 2021-2027 for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 school years.
A much more favorable situation for residents in Liguria where a reimbursement is expected, with percentages between 50 and 60% of the expenditure incurred, covering all ISEE bands up to 50 thousand euros;
from the second child onwards, the threshold is lowered to allow a higher reimbursement percentage and in any case a priority in the ranking if the ISEE does not exceed 15 thousand euros. In Trentino Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta, school documents are provided free of charge to all middle and high school students.
The analysis was carried out by the Scuola di Cittadinanzattiva, in collaboration with the Quotidiano del Sud which today anticipates the research.
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