Sistema Pubblico Istruzione Italiano in Inglese

the italian education system

“In Italy, every child has the right/obligation to receive an education”

The Italian education system is currently undergoing a series of changes. On May 28th 2003, a new reform law was passed, (Law N°53/2003) which is aimed at modifying the current education system in order to make it more similar to the standard European one.

According to the new law, every child has the right-obligation to receive 12 years of education and be guaranteed the possibility of learning a second European language. Furthermore, from primary school onwards, children must be familiarised with basic computing skills.

The law recognises the primary role of the family and offers parents new possibilities when deciding their child’s educational and cultural career by giving different scholastic possibilities and different schooling hours.

The changes introduced are numerous however, they will be carried out gradually and for the moment are being tested in schools which already feel prepared to adopt these new methods.

This small guide has been devised in multi-lingual versions in order to offer the parents of foreign students useful information regarding the national education and assessment system. In order to further improve communication, each language version contains a table with the translation of various terminologies and the assessment system scale currently used in Italy.

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In the presentation, the denominations of scholastic phases are written in brackets in the most commonly used linguistic form.

THE STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM

The State Education System

The state education system is made up of state schools, officially recognised schools and legally recognised private ones. State schools are free of charge, however, parents do have some extra charges to pay, such as school dinners, stationery and all other consumable materials. These charges change according to the school attended and the family income. In primary schools books are free of charge, whereas in middle and secondary school the student’s parents must purchase them.

The Education Offer Plan

Schools are organised into mixed sex class all based on the same age groups. Each school has its own “identity card” which represents its “Educational Offer Plan”. This represents the document with which every school presents its educational programmes, activities and objectives. These programmes are defined in part by the Ministry of Education and by the school itself. The Education Offer Plan is issued to parents once students are enrolled in school.

The following are indicated in the Educational Offer Plan:

-subjects and activities established by Law

-activities chosen by the school itself

-all options on offer to students

-annual amount of hours dedicated to each subject and activity

-guidance, support and remedial lessons

-assessment methods and marking system

At the beginning of the school year the school informs students and parents of:

-chosen text books

-timetable of lessons

-holiday calendar

THE NEW EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM

The Student’s Scholastic Career

E
T
A’
A
L
U
N
N
O / ISTRUZIONE
E
FORMAZIONE
SUPERIORE / 2 Laurea / E
T
A’
A
L
U
N
N
O
1 specialistica
Formazione
Tecnica
Superiore
3
2 Laurea
1
18,5 / ESAME DI STATO / 19
13,5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 14
SECONDO
CICLO / 2 / 4 / Formazione professionale
Apprendistato
Alternanza
1 / Passaggi
/ 3
2 / 2
1 / / 1
ESAME DI STATO
5,5 / PRIMO CICLO / 1 / Scuola secondaria
di 1° grado / 6
2
1
2 / Scuola primaria
1
2
1
1
2,5 / / 3
Scuola dell’infanzia / 3
2
1

Cfr

As illustrated by the graph, the student’s scholastic career is developed throughout two fundamental phases during which the child has the right-obligation to receive 12 years of education until receiving the final year diploma or professional qualification.

The first phase of education begins at 6 years of age with Primary school and terminates at 14 years of age with First degree secondary school. According to the new law, parents can send their children to school even at 5½ years of age if they wish to do so.

Parents who neglect their child’s education are severely punished by the law.

At the conclusion of the first phase and once the state exam has been passed, the student has two options. Based on personal interests and academic strengths shown in particular subjects, he/she can opt for a Secondary school or an Educational and Professional Training Institute.

Secondary school has a 5-year duration and terminates with a state exam and issuing of a diploma. The Secondary school diploma allows student to start frequenting university.

Instead, the Educational and Professional Training Institutes have a 4-year duration and at the end issue a professional qualification. If the student wishes to attend university then he/she must complete a final fifth year at the Institute.

Law 53/2003 states…..

The Italian education and training system promotes, “a lifetime of learning ensuring equal opportunities when reaching high cultural levels and developing skills be means of knowledge and general and specific skills, coherent with academic strengths and personal choices, suitable for interaction in social life and in the world of work..” (art. 2)

Infant School

A
G
E
2,5 / 3
Infant
School / 3
2
1

Infant school has a 3-year duration and is optional. Children in Italy can attend from three years of age. However, they can also attend from two and a half years of age if parents wish them to do so.

Assessment and certificates

In Italy there is no assessment system since parents and teachers collaborate to encourage the child’s progress by exchanging daily information.

The teacher also monitors the child’s state of health, personal hygiene and ability to interact with other children when in the same environment. The teacher also compiles a personal file for each student in which useful information regarding the child in question is recorded. When necessary, the teacher agrees with the parents on the best teaching methods to be adopted.

Law 53/2003 states …..

Infant school, “contributes to the child’s educational, emotional, physical, cognitive, moral, religious and social development by fostering interactive, autonomous, creative learning skills while ensuring equal educational opportunities. Infant school contributes to the child’s integral formation while respecting the primary educational role of the parents..” (art. 2)

PHASE 1

Primary School and First degree secondary school

13,5 / STATE EXAM / 14
A
G
E
5,5 / FIRST PHASE / 1 / First degree secondary school / A
G
E
6
2
1
2 / Primary School
1
2
1
1

The first educational phase has an 8-year duration and is subdivided into Primary and First degree secondary school. This educational phase is highly important in the child’s scholastic career and is characterised by two very important years.

The first year of Primary school has the role of receiving first-time school children or those passing on from infant school. Instead, the final year of this scholastic phase (third year of First degree secondary school), guides and prepares students in order to receive the necessary cultural and professional training that will finally be developed throughout the Secondary school years.

Primary School

Primary School has a five-year duration. Children start attending at six years of age. However, parents can send their children at five and a half years of age if they wish to do so. Primary school is concluded with a state exam.

The reform law has introduced some new aspects regarding exams. However, while waiting for them to be applied, the original exam will remain valid for the next three years.

Assessment and certificates

What kind / Why / How / When
Formative assessment
(initial) / To decide work programme
To co-ordinate scholastic timetable, class programmes and personalised programmes / By means of observations techniques and entry tests regarding:
-social skills and
relationships
-language skills
-mathematical/logic skills.
-other / At the beginning of the scholastic year
At the moment of starting school
Assessment checks
(periodical) / To check learning development
To check progress and understand difficulties
To check if contents have been understood
To check if teaching objectives have been reached / By means of observation
Written tests
Oral exams / Periodically throughout the scholastic year
Assessment (intermediate, annual and final) / To define how and what has been learnt
To clarify and establish global learning results
To check targets, maturity levels regarding behaviour, the acquisition/ the development of skills / By means of assessment record, personal file or report card
Skills porfolio (1)
“Portfolio delle competenze” / At the end of the first four-month period
At the end of the scholastic year.
At the end of study phase

(1) The “Portfolio delle competenze”is a method of assessment, which still has not been adopted by all schools.

In Primary school, at the end of every scholastic year the student is promoted to the next class if he obtains the minimum pass mark “pass”. However, it is at the teacher’s discretion to make the final judgement based on observations made over a period of time. During childhood, learning development, personal and social growth can take place at different times and with different rhythms depending on the child in question. All grades are recorded in the personal file, which has the validity of a certificate. At the end of the fifth year, on passing the exam with the minimum “pass” mark the student obtains the primary school diploma.

PRIMARY SCHOOL GRADING

ITALIANO / Non sufficiente / Fail / ENGLISH
Sufficiente / Pass
Buono / Good
Distinto / Pass with merit
Ottimo / Excellent work

Law 53/2003 states …..

Primary school “promotes, in relation to each individual, personal development in order to encourage children to apprehend and develop basic logical-critical skills and apprehend expressive means such as another European language as well as the Italian one. It provides the basics for the use of scientific methodology when studying the natural world. It highlights the necessary skills for relating to others. It teaches the fundamental principles for interacting in social life” (art. 2)

First degree secondary school

First degree secondary school has a three-year duration. The student begins this phase of his/her scholastic career at 10 and a half or eleven years of age. At the end of the first phase (Primary school and First degree secondary school) and on passing the state exam, the student must make an important decision regarding his/her scholastic career. In fact, based on his/her cultural and professional project, with the help of the family and the career guidance committee, he/she must decide to continue their studies in the secondary school system or opt for an educational and professional training institute.

Assessment and certification

(1) The “Portfolio delle competenze” is a method of assessment, which still has not been adopted by all schools. All certificates obtained by the student from the school and independently are kept in this portfolio.

In First degree secondary school, at the end of every scholastic year the student is promoted to the next class if he obtains the minimum pass mark “pass”. If he/she does not receive a pass grade in all subjects the class committee must decide if he/she must repeat the year or be promoted with demerit points that must be addressed throughout the successive year. All grades are recorded in the personal file, which has the validity of a certificate. At the end of the third year, on passing the exam with the minimum “pass” mark the student obtains the First degree secondary school Diploma.

Based on the observations carried out by teachers regarding the student’s interests and academic strengths, the career guidance committee then advises about his/her successive phase of study.

First degree secondary school assessment

ITALIANO / Non sufficiente / Fail / ENGLISH
Sufficiente / Pass
Buono / Good
Distinto / Pass with merit
Ottimo / Excellent work

Law 53/2003 states …

“By means of study disciplines, First degree secondary school has been designed for the development of autonomous study and the strengthening of social interaction skills. It organises and develops, also by means of computer technology, the skills and knowledge in relation to cultural traditions and the social, cultural and scientific evolution of the contemporary age. It is characterised by various didactic techniques and methodology in relation to the student’s personal development. It encourages the systematic aspect of discipline and progressively develops the skills of decision making in correspondence with the student’s academic strengths. It develops suitable teaching and training methods. It introduces the study of European languages and provides guidance regarding the successive choice of education and training” art. 2.

SECOND PHASE

Secondary School
Artistic – Classical – Economic – Linguistic – Musical and choreographic - Scientific – Technological
Human sciences / Educational and professional training
STATE EXAM

13,5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 14
SECOND
PHASE / 2 / 4 / Professional apprentice training
1 / Transition
3
2 / 2
1 / 1
STATE EXAM

The second phase of education offers a wide range of choice and is subdivided into two distinct categories: Secondary schools and professional training Institutes. The Secondary school system has a 5-year duration and covers many fields of study: artistic, classical, economical, linguistic, musical and choreographic, scientific, technological, human science. Instead, the Professional training system is more short term with a four-year duration.

When choosing which scholastic career to pursue, the school’s career guidance committee advises students and parents.

Good attendance with good grades throughout any second phase scholastic year means that students can acquire credits which can then be used to change field of study and/or pass from an education system to another. This credit system also allows work-school alternations, both during the school period and after a period of interruption.

At the end of the fifth year and on passing the state exam, the student receives the Secondary school Diploma, which allows entry into university.

At the end of the fourth year of professional training and on passing the final exam, the student receives a Professional Qualification, which allows access to Further Technical Training. If the student wishes to attend university then a fifth and final year must be attended and concluded with the state exam.

Assessment and certification

What kind / Why / How / When
Formative assessment
(initial) / To decide work programme
To co-ordinate scholastic timetable, class programmes and personalised programmes / By means of observations techniques and entry tests regarding:
-social skills and
relationships
-language skills
-mathematical/logic skills.
-other / At the beginning of the scholastic year
At the moment of starting school
Assessment checks
(periodical) / To check learning development
To check progress and understand difficulties
To check if contents have been understood
To check if teaching objectives have been reached / By means of observation
Written tests
Oral exams / Periodically throughout the scholastic year
Assessment (intermediate,annual and final) / To define how and what has been learnt
To clarify and establish global learning results
To check targets, maturity levels regarding behaviour, the acquisition/ the development of skills / By means of assessment record, personal file or report card
Skills porfolio (1)
“Portfolio delle competenze” / At the end of the first four-month period
At the end of the scholastic year.
At the end of study phase

(1) The “Portfolio delle competenze” is a method of assessment, which still has not been adopted by all schools. It represents a collection of all certificate acquired at school and independently from it, as well as any work experience gained.

In Secondary school, at the end of every scholastic year the student is promoted to the next class if he obtains the minimum pass mark 6/10. If he/she does not receive a pass grade in all subjects the class committee must decide if he/she must repeat the year or be promoted with demerit points that must be addressed throughout the successive year. All grades are recorded in the Report Card

At the end of the study phase and on passing the state exam the student receives the Secondary School Diploma with a minimum grade of 60/100.