La scuola italiana tra (nuove) politiche selettive e (vecchie) criticità della professione docente.

The paper analyses Italian school policies in the context of the 2026 Budget Law, with particular attention to the Agenda Sud and Agenda Nord programmes and to the teaching profession. After reconstructing recent trends in education spending and the increasing reliance on temporary European funds, the study examines the design and territorial allocation of the two Agendas, which represent the first systematic attempt to use INVALSI test results to target resources towards the most disadvantaged schools. While acknowledging their innovative nature and their potential to reduce learning gaps and school dropout, the paper highlights important weaknesses related to the non-structural nature of the funding, the lack of uniform selection criteria and the variability of allocated amounts. The analysis is complemented by an assessment of the teaching profession, showing how low salaries, limited career prospects and recruitment difficulties – especially in more disadvantaged areas and in critical subjects – may constrain the effectiveness of these interventions.