Italian Education Profile - Education - The British Council Italy


	THE ITALIAN EDUCATION PROFILE

	Overview of the education system The Ministry of Education (MPI) The Ministry of Education has general responsibilities of supervision and coordination of all educational activities carried out in the country by state and private institutions, the planning, study and promotion of education, and the general supervision of all educational institutions. It promotes curricular and syllabus changes and the in-service training of the teaching staff. It authorises experimentation affecting the curriculum and teaching hours, and directly administers activities concerning the budget, the recruitment and mobility of staff. Finally, it controls and administers the automation and mechanisation of services, etc. The Minister is responsible for the political direction of the Ministry. The Minister is assisted by one or more Under-Secretaries of State, appointed by the Prime Minister, who have no responsibilities of their own, but carry out duties delegated to them by the Minister. The Minister of Education is also assisted by members of the various General Directorates and the Departments making up the Ministry, and by a group of ministerial advisors. The Ministry of Education comprises the following General Directorates, Inspectorates and Departments responsible for the various types of schools or for matters of a general nature common to all schools: General Directorate for Personnel and General and Administrative Affairs Direzione Generale del Personale e degli Affari Generali e Amministrativi General Directorate for Primary Education Direzione Generale dell'Istruzione Elementare General Directorate for Lower Secondary Education Direzione Generale dell'Istruzione Secondaria di I Grado General Directorate for Classical, Scientific and Teacher Training Education Direzione Generale dell'Istruzione Classica, Scientifica e Magistrale General Directorate for Technical Education Direzione Generale dell'Istruzione Tecnica General Directorate for Vocational Education Direzione Generale dell'Istruzione Professionale General Directorate for Cultural Exchanges Direzione Generale degli Scambi Culturali General Directorate for Non-state Secondary Education Direzione Generale perl'Istruzione Media non Statale Inspectorate for Art Education Ispettorato per l'Istruzione Artistica Inspectorate for Physical Education and Sports Ispettorato per l'Educazione Fisica e Sportiva Inspectorate for Pensions Ispettorato per le Pensioni Department for Pre-School Service Servizio per la Scuola Materna On a local level the Ministry of Education is represented by regional and provincial education offices: Regional School Offices (Sovrintendenze Scolastiche Regionali) government departments responsible for school buildings and the recruitment of teaching and administrative personnel; Provincial Directorate of Education (Provveditorati agli Studi) responsible for the enforcement of laws and regulations in schools and the general management of schools in their province. Administration The administrative system of schools in Italy has traditionally been centrally organised. Since the 1950s, however, a progressive process of decentralisation of services and responsibilities, from the central to the local level, has occurred. In the 1970s, in particular, many responsibilities, including those concerned with education, were transferred from state to local authorities (Regions, Provinces, Communes). The early seventies marked a profound change in the organisation of the Italian school system. In that year a law was passed on the basis of which Councils and Assemblies were created within schools, on local and national levels. Within the limits of national legislation, these Councils were entrusted with a number of responsibilities, of a propositional, consultative and managerial nature, which had until then been carried out by administrative bodies. According to the law, Councils and Assemblies are responsible for the management of schools through participation, making the school a "community", where parents and students become active participants with a say in the educational process. Regions, Provinces and Communes In accordance with the general directives contained in the laws of the State, all Regions have their own legislative and administrative responsibilities regarding: · students welfare service: it is their task to organise medical and psychological assistance services for students, including handicapped students, to make it possible for children resident in the area to complete compulsory education and for the capable and deserving students to continue their study. In this area, the local legislative function is a regional responsibility, whereas its administration is assigned to the Communes. · vocational training: the Regions are responsible for vocational and handicraft education, training, specialisation, requalification and vocational guidance, outside upper secondary schools and universities. · the establishment of schools and the construction of school buildings: the Regions, in collaboration with other organisations, plan the building of new schools or improvements to existing structures, and administer funds received from the State. Participation Councils and Assemblies The following councils operate in schools: The Class Council, the Inter-class Council and the Intersection Council The Class Council operates in secondary schools and includes teachers from the same class; the Inter-class Council operates in primary schools and the Intersection Council in pre-schools. In addition, these councils also include one parent for each class present in the Inter-class Council elected from among the parents themselves. In lower secondary schools there are four parent representatives, two of whom are replaced in upper secondary school by student representatives. The Council is chaired by the Head Teacher or by a delegated teacher. The main task of the Council is to formulate proposals to the Teachers' Assembly regarding educational and learning activities. In addition, this is the body with the task of establishing and improving exchanges and communications between teachers, parents and students. Parents and students may not take part in assessment or educational coordination activities. Then there is the Teachers' Assembly which confronts internally problems concerning the running of the school; the School Council made up of representatives of teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, students (in upper secondary schools) and the Head Teacher, which is responsible for the estimated and final budgets and, within the limits of the budget and the law, for the organisation and planning of school activities. The Ministry of Universities and Scientific and Technological Research (MURST) The Ministry of Universities and Scientific and Technological Research has general responsibility for university education. It also distributes available funds among state universities and those private universities that have conformed to the structure of the public sector and that have obtained the authorisation to issue legally recognised qualifications. Private universities, moreover, also receive financial resources from local organisations, associations or foundations. The new law regarding university autonomy (December 1993) allows state universities to accept financing and contributions for research and services for different clients. Additional income for the university comes from contributions paid by students for services (laboratories, libraries etc.). The Ministry puts forth a development plan for universities every three years. Administration Since December 1993, universities enjoy a greater autonomy in the management of public funds assigned to them by the Ministry, in the management of staff, in determining the economic and juridical status of university professors and in determining university fees and contributions. Universities can carry out a self evaluation of their effectiveness in relation to research and teaching, the correct management of resources and the quality of administration. Each university has its own internal statute. Basic education including lower secondary *Pre-School Education (Scuola Materna)* Pre-schools accept all children between the ages of 3 and 6, including those with adjustment and learning difficulties. Children attending pre-school are organised into groups with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 children. If a handicapped pupil is integrated in the class the maximum is 20. The sections can be comprised of children of the same or of different ages. Attendance is free of charge with a contribution being requested from families for transport and meal services provided by the Comune. *Primary Education (Scuola Elementare)* Primary school attendance is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 11 years and may also be carried out in non-state schools or through eduction organised by families, although in the latter case the State reserves the right to control the levels of competence reached by pupils by means of a final examination. *Lower Secondary Education (Scuola Media)* Lower secondary school attendance is compulsory for four years and is the only possible way of completing compulsory education. Upper secondary education After finishing the period of lower secondary education students students may then leave school or continue for another three years at the end of which they may go onto to higher education or enter the job market. All schools which offer post-compulsory instruction are part of upper secondary education which is comprised by the following categories: classical (liceo classico), scientific (liceo scientifico) and artistic (liceo artistico) technical education (istituti tecnici) vocational education (istituti professionali) Liceo Classico, Scientifico and Artistico The liceo classico offers a course of study in the humanities with a base of general culture with a classical bias, whereas the aim of the liceo scientifico is to develop and deepen the education of those students intending to follow university studies in the scientific area. These schools offer a five-year course divided into an intial two-year period followed by a final three-year period with no intermediate examinations. Students passing the final examination (la maturità) then have access to all types of university and higher education courses. The liceo artistico aims to give students a cultural training which is specifically oriented towards the sector of visual arts and related forms of expression. Studies normally last four years with study programmes providing for two sections: the first begins the study of painting, sculpture, decoration and scenographic arts; the second begins the study of architecture. Students take a state examination for the attainment of the maturità artistica and depending on which section they studies during the last two years can either gain access to the Fine Arts Academy or register at a university's Faculty of Architecture. Technical Education Technical education is directed towards students aged between 15 and 19 years. The Istituti tecnici (Technical schools) prepare students to practise professions, technical or administrative services in the agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors, with the institutes being named according to their specialisation. The study programmes in the first two-year period include general subjects which are common to all the sectors and specialisations, the only difference lies in the practical exercises which are carried out in workshops and firms pertaining to the sector to which the school belongs. In the following three-year period, while the teaching of subjects such as Italian literature, history, civics and physical education continues, the other subjects are all related to a specific sector and specialisation, with a significant part of the curriculum reserved for specifically oriented practical exercises. The final certificate is the diploma di maturità tecnica giving the holder the right to be called Perito (expert) in his/her specialist subject. It also gives access to all university faculties. Index \| Previous \| Next