On the job instability of physical education teachers in Italian primary schools 

The petitioner, a physical education teacher in primary schools since 2011, complains about the precarious employment situation of physical education teachers in primary schools in Italy. She objects to the contractual arrangements applied to that category of teacher, which circumvent normal employment contracts and rule out the option of making up for lost hours and payment of those hours in the event of absence due to illness or for other serious family reasons. In addition, according to the petitioner, at the end of those contracts no social safety nets or other forms of income support are provided. In particular, the petitioner refers to national and regional ‘amateur sports’ contracts, which provide for the ridiculous amount of EUR 15 (gross) per hour, which are paid not on a monthly basis but many months after the actual work. The petitioner is therefore calling for action from the European Parliament, to ensure that appropriate contractual arrangements are adopted to guarantee the legal, professional and social protection of that category of teacher and to ensure that physical education in Italian primary schools is taught by graduates in Sports Science.