Financial Education in Schools: New Memorandum of Understanding between Banca d'Italia and the Ministry of Education

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Published on 30/01/2026

Banca d'Italia and the Ministry of Education and Merit have renewed their commitment to promoting financial education in schools through a new agreement.

On 28 January, Banca d'Italia Governor Fabio Panetta, and the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, signed a new memorandum of understanding that strengthens cooperation between the two institutions. The broader context is also new: with Law No. 21 of 2024, financial education has formally become part of civic education, bringing Italy in line with best international practices.

This is an important step, consolidating work that began in 2007 and which today takes on even greater strategic relevance. In a world where economic choices enter young people's lives earlier and earlier - from their first digital payments to decisions about study and work - financial education is becoming an essential citizenship competence. It means learning to navigate money, saving, risks and rights, and developing the ability to make responsible and well-informed decisions. It is not only about accounts and numbers: it is an education in planning, assessing consequences, and building one's future well-being. This is why it is crucial for students, from an early age, to acquire the tools needed to understand the economic reality around them, protect themselves from risks and seize the opportunities offered by an ever-evolving financial system.

The Bank of Italy is therefore reaffirming its commitment with renewed energy, offering:

• training courses for teachers, including online programmes;
• clear and up-to-date teaching materials for teachers and students;
• workshops and awareness-raising activities in schools;
• school-to-work transition programmes (formerly PCTO);
• competitions such as the "Let's Design a Banknote" prize;
• guided tours and educational activities on money and finance through MUDEM - the Money Museum.

The Italian school system has a long-standing tradition of inclusion and of reducing educational inequalities. Bringing financial education into classrooms means strengthening this mission: giving all students, wherever they grow up, equal opportunities to develop skills that are essential today.

Educating young people on these topics is not a burden but an investment - one of the most rewarding for society's well-being.