THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN ITALY2005/2006

OverviewOverview

Organization of the education system in Italy

Allocation of responsibilities

Ongoing debate on the recent reform

Adalgisa Stabilito, Italy

THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN ITALY2005/2006

PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

► Age: from 2 and ½ to 5 and ½Age: from 2 and ½ to 5 and ½► Not compulsory► Designed to foster the education and the

emotional, psychomotor, cognitive, moral, religious and social development of children and to guarantee educational continuity with the childcare services and with compulsory schools.

► Co-educational: pre-primary school are always located with a primary school

PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

STATISTICSSTATISTICSSchool year 2004/05 – State schools (*)

► Number of pupils per teacher 11.60► Number of pupils per section 23.40► Pupils 972,250► Teachers 84,056► Schools 13,572► Sections 41,487

(2 Teachers per section)

► Time: from 8,00 to 16,00

(*) There are also a lot of private schools

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Primary education► Duration: 5 years ► First year serves as a transition from pre-primary

school and two successive periods of two years are scheduled

► The municipality provides all pupils with textbooks and sometime bus and school meals free of charge

► The task of organising the school timetable is left to the autonomous discretion of individual schools

► National Guidelines for Personalised Study Plans do not mention subjects but rather disciplines and education courses (specific learning targets for each discipline that correspond to levels of knowledge and ability that pupils should reach by the end of the course)

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Primary education

STATISTICSSTATISTICSSchool year 2004/05 – Primary State schools (*)

► Number of pupils per teacher: 10.1► Number of pupils per class: 18.4► Pupils 2,523,240► Teachers 250,296► Schools 16,174► Classes 137,462► Time: from 27 to 40 h/week

(*) There are also many private schools

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Secondary Education – I level► Duration: 3 years ► Has a first two-year period

and a third year for guidanceand the transition to the second cycle of education

► Enrolment and attendance arefree of charge, but the familiesare required to pay for the textbooks.

► The compulsory annual timetable is 891 hours, subdivided into 30 weeks of teaching (approximately 30 hours a week)

► In addition to the compulsory weekly hours, there are 198 hours (approximately 6 hours a week) that are optional for families

MY SCHOOLMY SCHOOL

MY SCHOOLMY SCHOOL

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Secondary Education – I levelSTATISTICSSTATISTICSSchool year 2004/05 –

Secondary State schools (*)

► Number of pupils per teacher: 9.8

► Number of pupils per class: 21.1

► Pupils 1,708,599► Teachers 175,111► Schools 7,025► Classes 80,875► Time: 30 h/week + 6 optional

hours

(*) There are also a few private schools

POST-COMPULSORY EDUCATION/TRAINING

Secondary Education – II level

►Duration: 3-4-5 years

Second Channel (Regional trainingRegional training)

POST-COMPULSORY EDUCATION/TRAINING

Secondary Education – II levelSTATISTICSSTATISTICSSchool year 2004/05 – Secondary State schools (*)

Type of school Type of school Pupils attending Classes

Classical 237.367 10.539

Scientific 494.488 21.422

Tecnic 908.235 42.463

Artistic 66.853 4.807

Vocational 545.966 26.301

Total 2.252.909 105.532(*) There are also some private schools

Allocation of responsibilities

USR Regional School Offices

CSA

Administrative Services Centre

Schoolswith

Autonomy

The Ministryof Education

Allocation of responsibilities(in schools)

DSHead of School

VicarioVice head of school

Line StaffDA

Director of general andadministrative services

CdICouncil of School

CdDTeachers’ Committee

Ongoing debateon the recent reform

Law 53 of 2003 for the reform of the education and training system has progressively extended compulsory compulsory educationeducation from 8 to 10 years. However, it aims at widening and redefining the concept of compulsory education and training to ensure the diritto-doverediritto-dovere (*) to education and training within the education system for at least 12 years or up to the attainment of a qualification (within the vocational education and training system) within 18 years of age. The diritto-dovere will be gradually introduced starting from school year 2005/2006 and in accordance with the new sistema susistema su due canalidue canali (two channelstwo channels) of the second cycle of the education system.

(*) Term introduced by Reform Law no. 53 of 2003. It means that education is not only compulsory, but also guaranteed to all students for at least 12 years or, anyhow, as long as they have obtained a certificate within 18 years of age.

Ongoing debateon the recent reform

Law 53 of 2003 – “Reform of school”

9/10 April 2006 - Political elections:

new majority of government

To repeal or not to repeal

the Law 53 of 2003 ?Adalgisa Stabilito,

Italy