Education in Italy

In 1946, Italy became a parliamentary republic with a constitution based on the principle that civil liberties are the human right of all peoples -- whether rich or poor, smart or slow, old or young, Italian or foreign. And so the foundations of Italy's education system were established. From that time forward, Italy has provided equal and free education to all its citizens, from nursery school to university, as well as strict guidelines to make sure its people are properly educated.

Many Italian children start their education at the age of three in preschool, or "scuola materna" (1). Preschool in Italy has much the same purpose as preschool in America; it serves as a bridge that slowly eases young children into the primary school environment (4). Italian preschools run for children ages three to five. Similarly to American preschool, Italian preschool attendance is not mandatory. However, like American parents, many Italians choose to put their children in these programs because of the belief that a longer education means a better education. Unlike America, Italy offers free preschool to all young children. However, private preschools do exist in Italy for parents not satisfied with the education provided by the Italian government (1).

After preschool, Italian children attend primary school, or "scuola primaria," which is similar to American elementary school, from the ages of six to ten. Unlike preschool, primary school is mandatory in Italy (1). Like in American elementary schools, grades are recorded for each class. However, this is mostly just to ease students into the grading system they will experience when they transition to secondary school (4). At primary school, children learn to read and write, and study a wide range of topics, including mathematics, English, science, Italian, and social studies (1). The fact that Italian children take English from primary school onwards, while American children don't have to take foreign languages reflects some important Italian cultural beliefs. Italy's emphasis on learning English reflects its desire to be better able to share ideas with the rest of the world, to be a major player in economic and political discussions, and to be able to do business all over the world. A small percentage of the world speaks Italian, but most of the world knows some English. Since English is the de facto language of business, medicine, etc, Italians must speak English to be able to participate in all these global discussions. For example, the Italian fashion industry is well respected globally. Italy also has a robust IT industry, and a large agricultural export industry, and a booming tourism industry (5). But without the ability to speak the language of international trade, which in this day and age is English, Italy could not be a major global player in these industries.

After primary school, students attend lower secondary school or "scuola media" from the ages of 11 to 14. Secondary school is much like American middle school. Like primary school, lower secondary school is mandatory. At this stage in the Italian education system, curriculums become stricter, and must follow the national guidelines. Students receive teacher's reports, similar to an American report card, every term. These teacher's reports outline the student's ability, behavior and accomplishments in each subject. While in lower secondary school, students must attend 30 hours of class each week, and some Italian schools offer additional classes in the afternoons. These classes, which are usually financed by the school budget, include subjects ranging from computers, to sports, to music lessons, to chess clubs (1). In America, these activities are referred to as extracurriculars rather than "afternoon classes." The fact that Italians consider these courses to be classes rather than extracurriculars reflects their belief that education is not only about knowledge of academic subjects, but also about developing skills in the arts, in the use of technology, and in social skills like team work (derived from sports).

Upper secondary school, or scuola superiore, is the next stage in education, and involves between three and five years of attendance. This is where American education and Italian education become very different. While Americans simply attend highschool for four years, Italian students do two years of general studies, called biennio, and then up to three years of optional specialized education, called triennio. During the biennio, all students use the same mandated curriculum: Italian language and literature, foreign language, religion, science, mathematics, geography, and history. Specialized courses, called indirizzi, begin during the triennio. There are two types of upper secondary school: the istituto, which is a vocational school, and the liceo, which is a general academic school. Italian students looking to continue studies at a university typically attend a liceo, while students looking to go straight into the field after upper secondary school attend an istituto. Some types of istituto include: teacher training school, called istituto magistrale, artistic school, called istituto d'arte, technical institutes, called istituti tecnici, and professional institutes, called istituti professionali. After the required three years of secondary school, Italian students can attend a university after they have received an upper secondary school diploma, or diploma di maturità. The diploma awarded will depend on the type of school attended, so vocational schools will give students specialized diplomas (1).

Italians take great pride in being educated, and this is strongly reflected in the Italian education system. Traditionally, Italian education systems are very rigorous, and current Italian education policy certainly follows the trend. Many Italian university degrees require seven or eight years of study to complete - far more than in the United States. Also, Italians have to take and pass written standardized tests on the subjects of writing in Italian, mathematics, science, and foreign language, and oral and written tests on every school subject after three years in lower secondary schools and again after completion of upper secondary school, in order to receive an upper secondary school diploma (2). This is very different from in the U.S., where oral exams are a rarity. School curriculums in Italy are also very strict, and must follow the nation's guidelines, as stated by the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione (Ministry of Public Education). Schools have to rigidly adhere to a specified core curriculum for each course, and textbooks for each class are often standardized for every school (2). Admittedly, this is also due to the Italian desire to ensure the same standard of education throughout the country because of the belief in equal education that stems from the Italian constitution (3). Due to its demanding curriculum, Italians consider their universities and schools to be of a higher standard than those of many other countries. This many times means that educational qualifications gained abroad aren't recognized or given equal status in Italy (2).

Italy was founded on the principle that all liberties should be guaranteed to all peoples equally (3). Italian education policy revolves around this notion in many ways. One way, as stated above, is rigid adherence to core curriculums for each course and standardized textbooks for each. Another way is the fact that education is free from preschool through university (except for an enrollment tax of €130 for university students) (2). This allows all Italians, both rich and poor, to get the same university education, a de-facto socio-economic boundary that the U.S. has yet to overcome since America does not provide free university studies. Lastly, state and university education is also free for children of any foreigners living in Italy, which encourages many families to move to Italy (1). Poorer families move for the free education, but many richer families also move to gain access to Italy's rigorous education system. As a result of these education policies, the Italian literacy rate has reached a whopping 99% -- much higher than that of the U.S. (5).

The Italian and American education systems are alike in many ways. However, there are some major differences between the two that serve to highlight the distinct culture and beliefs of each. Italy does a much better job than the U.S. in guaranteeing free, equal education to all persons. In addition, Italy has a longer, more rigorous education system. Italy is also stricter in terms of school curriculums. These differences serve to show that Italians believe that it is more the job of the country to properly educate a person, while Americans believe that it is more each person's own responsibility to educate themselves. This corresponds well to the idea of the American Dream - that each person has the ability to raise themselves up out of hardship and make a better life for themselves through hard work and determination.

Bibliography:

1. "Italian Education and Schooling in Italy" AngloInfo. http://italy.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/schooling.asp

2. "Italy Guide: Introduction, the Italian Education System". Just Landed. http://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Tools/Italy-Guide/Education/Introduction

3. "Italy - Constitution". ICL. http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/it00000_.html

4. "Education in Italy". Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Italy

5. "Why Learn Italian In Italy?" AbroadLanguages.com. http://www.abroadlanguages.com/learn/italian/