L’autonomia scolastica e la sua rete dopo il PNRR. Nuova centralizzazione o assetto policentrico e sussidiario nell’offerta territoriale dell’istruzione?

The paper examines the significant transformation of the Italian education system brought about by the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), focusing in particular on the reform of school network planning. The analysis highlights the risks inherent in a shift from a polycentric model of territorial planning—historically recognised as the “proper sphere” of the Regions—to a model characterised by renewed verticalisation and ministerial centralisation. The study identifies, within the existing legal framework, margins for a coordinated rebalancing centred on the enhancement of school autonomy, with the expectation that it may finally emerge as the driving force of the system. At the core of the analysis lies the evolution of the allocation of responsibilities in the field of education among the various levels of government, a development intertwined with the recent use of substitute powers no longer as merely exceptional remedies, but as ordinary instruments aimed at ensuring a “results-oriented culture” and compliance with european targets. Through an examination of the most recent case law, the contribution shows how the Constitutional Court has, in practice, reassigned to the State the regulation of school network planning, bringing it under the concepts of “general provisions on education” and “State administrative organisation”, while at the same time acknowledging the indispensable role of educational institutions and the functional link between school autonomy and school leadership. The paper concludes by reflecting on the risks of a drift towards a form of “executive regionalism”, whereby Regions and local authorities—deprived of their autonomy in planning the provision of a public service such as education—tend to be reduced to mere coordinating administrative bodies tasked with ensuring uniform service standards.