Purchases for furnishings
Net of VAT, Assodidactic estimates a counter-value in furniture purchases of approximately 90-100 million euros. «It is an important occasion but one that, paradoxically, puts us in difficulty right now – explains Alessandro Zecchin, president of the association, which represents producers and distributors of school furniture and players of structures and digital equipment for Educational -. The deadlines for the deliveries of the equipment are expected by March next year, but the rankings came out only last August and schools have little time available to evaluate estimates and place orders ».
It should be added that the production capacity of the sector, made up of a few and small specialized companies, is limited: “The companies we represent, put together, reach an annual turnover of about 35 million euros – he specifies Zecchin -. Furthermore, at this moment there is a great difficulty in finding the raw materials. We will do our best, but the risk is that most of the schools will not be able to receive the materials in time and will have to give up the funds ».
Funds for the school
The question for the resources of the School Plan 4.0 is different: from the Ministry they specify that the institutes have until June 2024 to present the projects and this allows both schools and producers to better plan and work in synergy. Of course, even in this case there are critical issues, observes the president of theNational association of principals, Antonello Giannelli: «Didactic innovation is a central theme for our schools, which still suffer from a traditionalist approach, linked to outdated models – says Giannelli -. So these resources represent a unique opportunity for change. However, there is a problem with managing funds: the secretariats are short of staff and adequate skills. Many schools are in difficulty and the risk is that a part of these resources will be wasted ». There is a need for training and more clarity on how the funds are used, he adds Giannelli.
A truly innovative teaching
Also because it is not a question of ordering (by schools) or making (by companies) simple desks and chairs, as happened two years ago with the much contested Arcuri ban for anti-Covid furniture which, we recall, in the end it had a total value of over 300 million. This time the goal is to design and implement complex solutions, capable of supporting truly innovative teaching, which goes beyond the traditional concept of frontal lessons, integrated with the most advanced technological instruments.
In this sense, it is also a great opportunity for the furniture industry, as mentioned: “If the timing is adequate, this plan represents a long-term goal for companies and therefore can only be seen in a positive way, as a resumption of activity and as an opportunity to plan investments and modernization », observes Gianfranco Marinelli, president of Assufficio-FederlegnoArredo, which represents office furniture manufacturers and also a part of school furniture companies. Not only that: it could also provide the opportunity for some realities of the office to adapt and enter the (complex) world of school furniture.