About 550,000 primary school pupils in the South are without a gym. Even in Sicily the figure breaks through 80%. The situation in secondary school is no better with 64% of schools without a gym in Sicily.
The data was disclosed by the Ministry of Education and was revised by Svimez.
They are Focus on Sicilya site specializing in economics and work, analyzes the situation in the South and the portrait is merciless.
Out of more than 2 million pupils in primary school, almost 1.5 pupils without a gymnasium. In Basilicata and Calabria 83% are without a gym, in Sicily it is 81%. The best situation is in Veneto with only 48% of pupils without a gym. The center-north has an average of 54% of pupils without a gym, against 66% in the South.
The picture does not change at secondary school, only the percentages change. In the South, one out of two pupils does not have a gym where to train, in the center-north the figure drops to 39%.
It should be noted, as stated by the UISP (Italian Union of Sport for All), that almost one in three minors (31.35 per cent) in the 6-17 year-old group is overweight in the South, compared to one in five in the Center-North.
The PNRR funds are on the way
For gyms (new constructions or interventions for the safety of existing ones) the allocation foreseen by the PNRR is 300 million. With these funds and with an additional 31 million allocated by decree of the Minister of Education, they will be financed at the national level 444 interventions298 on existing structures and 146 for new buildings.
The four Regions with the highest number of funded interventions are in the South: Campania (70), Sicily (54), Basilicata (48), Calabria (42).
The resources are distributed on a regional basis and respecting the criterion that provides for at least 40% of the allocation for the regions of the South: the Regions of Sud they got over the 52% of funds, for a total of 174.747.786,12 euro.
The applications received at the expiry of the Notice, on 28 February last, were 2,859, for a total of loans requested over 2.8 billion out of the 300 million available.