Transcript Diapositiva 1 - IC Balmuccia

The Italian School System
In Italy, the Constitution considers the Educational System as a right
for all the people.
The Education in Italy is divided into levels.
The education is compulsory for children aged between 6 to 16
years. Before the age of 6, children can attend the pre-school.
Although it is not compulsory, 90% of Italian children go to pre-schools
(kindergarten).
Day-care centres are available for children before the age of 3.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
Scuola primaria (primary school)
Age 5/ 6–11
Scuola secondaria di I grado
Age 11–14
(lower secondary school)
Scuola secondaria di II grado
(upper secondary school) only first
two years
Age 14–16
Primary school
Primary school, scuola elementare, lasts for five years. The aim of
primary school is to promote a basic cultural education and to
encourage social interaction. Class sizes generally run about 20 or
more pupils per class.
At the beginning of the first year of each school level (elementary,
middle, high school), pupils are split up into class groups which will be
the same for several years. Pupils have lessons always in the same
classroom, where the different teachers turn over.
Lower Secondary Education
The lower secondary school, is the Scuola Media (Middle School). It
provides a common general education to students. It is compulsory and
lasts for three years. The main objectives of this level of education is to
offer to pupils both a wider knowledge of reality through the different
school subjects and the opportunity to develop their personality.
The curriculum includes: Italian, English, French (sometimes Spanish or
German), History, Geography, Math, Physical Education, Technology,
Music, Art, Information Technology, Science and Religion (students can
choose to attend different activities instead of Religion).
Students must pass an exam and obtain the Licenza di Scuola Media
(the lower secondary school diploma) before moving up to Upper
Secondary schools
Upper Secondary Education
High secondary school lasts five years, until students are eighteen or
nineteen years old. The higher secondary schools are voluntary (except
for the first two years). Students must take a choice about their
education at an early age and choose the higher secondary schools
they will attend.
Students do an obligatory two years (biennio) of general studies
followed by three years (triennio) of specialised education. At the end
students take a "State Examination" to certificate the level achieved.
Students can choose among these type of schools
Classical High School (Liceo Classico)
This lasts for five years and prepares the student for university
level studies. Latin, Greek and Italian literature form an important
part of the curriculum. During the last three years philosophy and
history of art are also studied.
Scientific High School (Liceo Scientifico)
Lasts for five years with an emphasis on physics, chemistry and
natural sciences. The student also continues to study Latin and
one modern language
Fine Arts High School (Liceo Artistico)
Studies can last four to five years and prepare for university
studies in painting, sculpture or architecture
Teacher Training School (Istituto Socio-Psico-Pedagogico,
formerly known as Istituto Magistrale)
Studies last for five years and prepare future primary school teachers.
Technical Institutes (Istituti Tecnici)
Studies last five years and prepare for both university studies and for a
vocation. There is a majority of students in technical schools that prepare
students to work in a technical or administrative capacity in agriculture,
industry or commerce.
Professional Institutes (Istituti Professionali)
These studies lead, in three or five years, to achievement of a vocational
qualification.
All these different types of schools lead to different types of
degrees, called Diploma di Maturità (Maturità Classica,
Scientifica, Linguistica, Artistica, Magistrale, Tecnica, etc). The
Maturità is the minimum admission requirement to university
studies, as well as to most part of non-university institutions of
higher education.
High Education
High education in Italy is provided by Universities, which can be state or
private universities.
Italian Universities will be asked to adopt a ‘3 cycle system’:
The first cycle, 3 years in length, will be focused on a curriculum with a
professional training bias and will culminate with the awarding of a first
level degree called Laurea.
The second cycle will last 2 years and will end with the awarding of a
Laura Specializzata
Research Doctorate, Dottorato di Ricerca. This is the third level or
post-graduate academic qualification. The doctorate course lasts 3-4
years. Places are restricted to a limited number of students.
Length of the school day
The length of lessons is usually 60 minutes and.
One teacher for each subject accompanies the same group of
students for several years
In a school year of about 200 days from September to June
schools open five or six days a week, full or half days,
depending on the institution.
Both primary and secondary schools offer from a minimum of
27 to 40 hours of teaching a week.
Distribution of responsibilities
Education in Italy has traditionally been centrally administered.
Now a progressive process of decentralization transferred the
administration and didactical decisions to the educational
institutions, giving them responsibilities. This process is called
autonomia.
Education policy, however, remains centralized, and all schools state, or private - must conform to national laws.
The overall responsibility for education is in the hands of the
Ministry of Education.
Ministry of
Education
Local
Authorities
School
Council
Principal
Institutions
Teachers'
Assempbly
Class
council
The Ministry of Education
It has general responsibility for the supervision and coordination of
all educational activities, and issues legislation to this effect.
It issues general guidelines on curricula and and sets the final
examinations at upper secondary levels.
It promotes curriculum and syllabus changes It directly administers
(through provincial offices) arrangements concerning the budget,
the recruitment and mobility of staff.
Local authorities
The Regions have their own legislative and administrative
responsibilities within the general guidelines set out in state laws.
they plan the establishment and construction of new schools or
improvements to existing structures and administer funds received
from the State for this purpose;
Rhe Regions are also responsible for vocational education, training
and guidance outside upper secondary schools.
Institutions
In recent years, administrative powers have gradually been
decentralized to individual schools and colleges. In each institution,
administrative functions are carried out by the School Council
(Consiglio di istituto) and the Principal (Preside).
The School Council
The School Council is responsible for budgetary matters and for the
organization and planning of non-educational school activities.
It deliberates the purchase, renewal and maintenance of school
equipment and teaching materials and decides on extracurricular and
sports activities.
The School Council is made up of representatives elected by teaching
and non-teaching staff, parents and, in upper secondary schools,
students.
Principals
Principals are responsible for representing the school in the outside
world and for management, supervision and discipline within the
school.
They coordinate all school activities and are responsible for
compliance with legislative provisions.
They implement the decisions of the School Council, organize the
school internally, i.e. timetable, formation of classes, allocation of
teachers, and decide on disciplinary measures for pupils.
They are responsible for the recruitment of temporary teachers for less
than one academic year.
Teachers’ Assembly
The Teachers' Assembly is composed of all the permanent and
temporary teachers of each school (pre-school, primary school
and middle school of the same comprehensive institution) and is
chaired by the principal.
It formulates teaching and educational plans for each school year,
taking into account specific local requirements, national
guidelines and state legislation, and decides on types of
interdisciplinary coordination while respecting the freedom of
teaching of each teacher.
It also selects textbooks and teaching materials, in consultation
with the Class Councils, and makes proposals concerning the
organization of the school and in-service teacher training.
The Class Council
The Class Council is composed of teachers of the same class and
four elected parents' representatives, two of whom are replaced by
two pupils' representatives at upper secondary level.
They formulate educational and teaching plans for the class,
check the progress of teaching and discipline in the class, organize
supplementary activities and carry out the periodical and final
assessment of pupils.
Private Education
The approval of the bill concerning the equal status of State and
State-recognised schools (scuole paritarie) (March 2000) aims to
provide measures to support parents of children and school-aged
young people regardless of whether they are enrolled in a State
school or attend a State-recognised institution, in order to ensure
the right to education and promote the expansion, diversification
and integration of education.
Teachers
Teachers in Primary School are generalists but assume
responsibility for a subject area (linguistic, mathematic or
anthropologic areas). They teach 22 hours per week + 2 hours of
planning work
In the Secondary School teachers can teach at both lower
secondary or at upper secondary level.
They teach 18 hours per week + 80 hours per year of planning
work and general meetings.
All teachers in public schools are assigned to a certain school
from a central system.
Teachers generally work for 35 years; till the age of 60 for women
and 65 for men.
There is no difference between “new” and “old” teachers and there
are no promotions.
Length of service is the main factor taken into account in
determining salary increases.
The basic salary may be accompanied under certain special
circumstances by various forms of additional earnings.
They include the payment of overtime and additional responsibilities.