The European Committee of Social Rights (the Committee) of the Council of Europe has found Italy in violation of the revised European Social Charter, concerning Articles 1 paragraphs 1 and 2 (right to work) and Article 15 (right of persons with disabilities to independence, social integration and participation in the life of the community).  

The decision of the Committee was published on 22 December 2025 and was based on a complaint filed by ANIEF, an Italian teachers' union, back in June 2021. The Committee found that the precarious employment situation of still a significant number of support teachers in Italy, combined with the lack of specialised training for one in three of such teachers, hinders the access of students with disabilities to inclusive education.

ANIEF complaint to the Committee was based on the following key findings : over 56% of support teachers in Italy worked on precarious temporary contracts, leading to frequent turnover that disrupts the educational continuity for students with disabilities. Moreover, for 25 years until 2017, Italy failed to implement training requirements for support teachers specified in its 1992 law on inclusive education. 

The Italian Authorities argued that use of temporary contracts is necessary for flexibility, and that procedures are in place to ensure continuity of support despite staff turnover. It also highlighted recent efforts to increase specialized training opportunities. However, as of the 2022-2023 school year 30% of support teachers still lacked specialised training on inclusive education.

The Committee in the end, while acknowledging recent efforts by Italy, found that the employment insecurity and lack of specialised training "strongly contributes to a lack of educational continuity" and "hinders access of pupils with disabilities to inclusive education" in violation of Article 15§1 of the Charter.

The Committee urged Italy to take measures to ensure sufficient numbers of qualified and permanently employed support teachers to facilitate true inclusive education for students with disabilities.

The decision is binding on Italy, which must report on actions taken to address the violation.