An extraordinary competition to give permanent jobs to 32,000 teachers currently working in State schools on temporary contracts began on Thursday.
The selection procedure has attracted 64,563 applications, all of whom needed to have at least three years of service under their belts to be eligible.
It got under way with the first 1,645 candidates taking tests at 171 exam halls all over the nation and it will run until November 16.
Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said it was necessary to hold the competition now to cut a big shortfall in the number of teachers and help schools better organize themselves as they face extra demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But trade unions have described the decision to hold the selection procedure now as "crazy" and opposition parties and the centre-left Democratic Party, part of the alliance supporting the government, have been critical too.
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