European Commission - Socrates Programme, Comenius Project 1- School Development -* 2006/2007

“Preserving the past, confronting the present to create the future”

* The European Commission supports this project but is not responsible for the information here contained nor for its possibile use.

ISTITUTO D’ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE

DI VIA DELLE SCIENZE

COLLEFERRO

BASIC INFORMATION

The Italian

School System

The Italian school system is based on

At present, school is compulsory from the age of 6 to

15 years old (probably 16 in a short time), although

there is a “formative duty”/ “compulsory training”

(obbligo formativo) until the age of 18.

PRIMARY

LOWER SECONDARY

UPPER SECONDARY

education

COMPULSORY EDUCATION (5+3+1)

duration 5 years (or 3+2

vocational)

duration 3 years

Infancy cycle

Primary cycle

Infant school

Primary school

Lower Secondary

school

duration 5 years

duration 3 years

from 14 years to 19 years

from 3 months

to 3 years

from 3 years to 6

years

from 6 years to 11 years

from 11 years to 14 years

duration 3 years

Secondary cycle

Upper Secondary

school

Nursery school

Before starting the Primary school, children can go to

the INFANT - SCHOOL (Scuola dell’Infanzia) from the

age of 3 until they are 6 years old. This school is not

compulsory but is now rather normal for childern to

attend it

The primary level starts at the age of 6 and lasts

five years, until the age of 11. It is called SCUOLA

ELEMENTARE and is compulsory. It is free, in State

schools, and families don’t have to pay for books.

At this level children start to learn a

foreign language, usually English.

The timetable may vary from a minimum of

27 hours to a maximum of 40 hours a week.

Class sizes generally run about twenty-five

children per class.

The curriculum includes: Italian, Maths, English,

Geography, History, Science, Music, Art, Physical

Education, Information Technology and Catholic

Religion as a non compulsory subject.

Municipalities manage transportation

and school meals asking for

contributions but making exceptions

for needy families.

The primary school is followed by the lower secondary school, called SCUOLA MEDIA , lasting three years, until 14 years of age. It is compulsory and free, but families have to pay for books.

The timetable may vary from a minimum of 29 hours to a maximum of 40 hours a week, according to the families’ requests, but the average timetable in many schools is 33 hours. Class size is about 22 - 25 pupils per class.

The study of a second foreign European language has recently been introduced at this level.

The curriculum includes: Italian, maths, history,

geography, science, English, a second foreign

language, technology, information technology, art,

music, physical education and religion

(if chosen by the pupil’s family).

SECONDARYSCHOOL

CERTIFICATE

At the end of lower secondary education,

children take an EXAM and those who pass it can

start their upper secondary education

Upper secondary education (Scuola Secondaria di secondo grado) is made of several kinds of schools:

LYCEUM (an academic kind of school which can be

Classical, Scientific, Pedagogic, Art or Languages)

TECHNICAL INSTITUTES (for Chemistry, Electronics,

Mechanics, IT, etc.)

VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

LYCEUM and TECHNICAL INSTITUTES

consist of a five-year study course and, at the end

of their chosen course, students have to take a

State Exam in order to get their diploma. This

diploma gives access to professions or to

University.

VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS are organized in a

three-year study course plus a two-year study

course. At the end of the third year, students take

an exam to get a qualification for some kind of job.

After that, if they want,

they can complete their

education by attending

two more school years and

taking a State Exam to get

a diploma

Class sizes are between twenty-five to twenty-eight

students in upper secondary schools.

Upper secondary schools charge a tuition fee.

However, based on family income or on very high

marks, some students may qualify for exemptions or

assistance.

The curriculum varies depending on

the course of study chosen. Lyceums

are characterized by the study of

Philosophy and, in most of them, Latin.

The timetable in upper secondary schools varies

significantly according to the kind of school, with

an average of 5 or 6 hours a day.

Didactic activities

approximately go from the

middle of September to the

middle of June and each school

must guarantee 200 school-

days at least.

The State Exam starts after the middle of June and

finishes by the middle of July.

It consists of three written tests and an oral

interview.

The minimum score to pass the Exam is 60/100

(whereas all through the Upper Secondary school,

students’ marks may range between 1 and 10, with

6/10 as pass/fail treshold in each subject).

Since 1998-1999 the school leaving

qualification has been called DIPLOMA DI

ESAME DI STATO

In the year 2000, Italian schools were given

didactic, organizational and research “autonomy”.

This means that, still respecting the

general educational goals fixed at

national level by the Ministry of

Public Education, every school can

adapt its offer with regard to the

cultural, social and economic

situation in which it operates.

In order to put this autonomy into practice, every

school has to prepare a document, known as

P.O.F. (Piano dell’Offerta Formativa

or Educational Offer Plan)

that allows the school to

modify the educational

plan so to adjust to the

needs and interests of

students, families and to the

characteristics of the social context.

Always following the suggestions coming from the Ministry of Education, each school can modify the timetable (adding teaching hours or adapting the calendar) and make it more flexible (that is organizing the timetable so to give more or less relevance to the different subjects according to the students’ needs in different periods of the school year or even to introduce subjects of interest); it can also activate special projects to give students orientation, support and help so to reduce insuccess. This possibility is offered to the students in optional way.

This document (P.O.F.) is arranged and written

down by a team of teachers of the school,

approved by the Collegio dei Docenti (that is the

Assembly of all the Teachers in the school),

published and given to the students and their

families when they enrol.

Liceo Classico StataleLiceo Scientifico StataleDirigente Scolastico: Prof. Angelo Fagiolo

Docenti referenti: Prof.sse Renata Giorgi – Rossella Iannucci

Via delle Scienze e della Tecnica s.n.c. 00034 Colleferro (RM)tel. 06-97200398 - fax 06-97304157

www.liceomarconicolleferro.it preside@liceomarconicolleferro.it

segreteriastudenti@liceomarconicolleferro.it