There is a compulsory curriculum for upper secondary education. The subjects included vary according to school type.20
The Ministry of Public Education is involved in the planning, study and promotion of education and the general supervision of all educational institutions. It issues general guidelines on curricula and assessment; promotes curriculum and syllabus changes; and authorises experimentation affecting the curriculum and teaching hours.20
In issuing the curricula (programmi di insegnamento), the Ministry ensures that these contain, for each type of school, and for each subject, educational targets, guidelines on methods, and syllabuses for individual subjects. Each successive government on coming to office, states briefly how it intends to meet the objectives indicated by law and any modifications it intends to introduce.27
Specially appointed commissions comprising headteachers, teachers, school inspectors, and experts contribute to the development of curricula. Their involvement is, however, purely consultative; the final decision is the responsibility of the Minister of Education alone.27
The Ministry of Public Education intends that its directives in respect of the curriculum should be used as general guidelines and adapted by the headteachers and staff of individual educational institutions, in consultation with parent representatives, in line with the particular requirements of their specific environment.30
There is no equivalent organisation to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England (QCA) at the central level.27
There is a compulsory curriculum for upper secondary education. The subjects included vary according to school type, in accordance with the table below:
| School type | Cycle | Subjects | Options | |||
| Liceo classico | Years 1-2 (Ginnasio) | Italian language and literature; Latin language; Greek language; a modern foreign language and literature; history; geography; mathematics; and physical education. |
Religious education | |||
| Liceo classico | Years 3-5 ("Liceo") | Italian language and literature; Latin language and literature; Greek language and literature; History; Philosophy; Natural sciences; Chemistry and geography; Mathematics and physics; History of art or music; and Physical education. The study of a modern foreign language has also been introduced experimentally to this cycle of the liceo classico (previously a modern foreign language was only studied in the initial Ginnasio cycle). Indeed, special emphasis is now being placed on the teaching of foreign languages in all curricula to favour cultural exchange with other countries. |
Religious education | |||
| Liceo scientifico | Italian language and literature; Latin language and literature foreign language and literature; history; philosophy; geography (in the first and second years only); chemistry and geography; natural sciences; mathematics and physics; drawing; and physical education. |
Religious education | ||||
| Liceo artistico | General subjects: Italian language and literature and history; history of art or music; mathematics and physics; natural sciences; chemistry and physical geography; and physical education. Artistic subjects: Life drawing; still life; figure modelling; ornamental modelling; geometric drawing; perspective; elements of architecture; anatomy for artists. |
Religious education | ||||
| Istituti d'arte | General subjects: Italian language and literature; history and civics; history of art and of applied arts or music; mathematics and physics; natural sciences; and chemistry and geography. Artistic subjects: Geometric and architectural drawing; life drawing; plastic arts. |
Religious education | ||||
| Technical schools | First Cycle (Years 1-2) | Italian language and literature; history and civics; geography; foreign languages; mathematics; physics; natural sciences and chemistry; drawing (except for the commercial branch); physical education; and some differentiation in practical work. |
Religious education | |
| Technical schools | Second Cycle (Years 3-5) | Italian literature, history, civics and physical education are common to all; the other disciplines are related to the specific department or specialisation, with much of the programme devoted to specifically-oriented practical exercises. | Religious education | |
| Vocational schools | First two years of three-year course | Area of teaching common to all courses, 22 hours per week. Subjects studied are: Italian, history, foreign language, law and economics, mathematics and computer science, earth sciences and biology, and physical education. An area of specialised teaching (technological and vocational subjects), 14 hours per week. An in-depth learning area, 4 hours per week |
Religious education (at student request.) The specialised teaching and practical training and the in-depth learning area are compulsory for all students, but the subjects chosen/ available to choose depend on the individual and the school. | |
| Final year of three-year course | An area of study common to all courses, 12-15 hours per week. Subjects studied are: Italian, history, foreign language, law and economics, mathematics and computer science, earth sciences and biology, and physical education. A specialised area of study (technical and vocational subjects), 21-24 hours per week. An in-depth learning area, 4 hours per week. |
The specialised area of study and in-depth learning area are compulsory for all, but the subjects chosen/available to choose depend on the individual and the school. | ||
Source: EURYDICE and CEDEFOP (1995) and EURYDICE UNIT, ITALY (1996b).
In the Istituti professionali (vocational schools) curricula outline standards and contents for the area of teaching common to all three-year initial qualification courses (see table above) and for the area of specialised teaching, but teachers are responsible for general organisation and planning of the curriculum. The organisation of the in-depth learning area is left to the autonomy of the individual institution.21
In the Istituti professionali, where the number of specialist courses available has recently been reduced and the initial three-year course now offers basic training in either agriculture, industry and crafts, or the service sector (along with guidance to assist students in selecting future courses, schools or employment tracks), more specialist, vocational subject options are available in the fourth and fifth year post-qualification courses, where part of the curriculum is organised in collaboration with the regions and includes school-work experience.21
The reduction in the number of courses leading to qualifications in the Istituti professionali and in the number of specialist options available is based on the assumption that, if initial vocational training has some specialisation, but is also not too specialised, students will be better prepared for the world of work and any potential retraining required during their working lives.21
The upper secondary school year generally lasts for 200 days. Weekly timetables vary, roughly as follows, dependent on the type of school:
In accordance with the law on local autonomy,1 which was fully implemented in September 1999, schools now have further freedom in respect of the organisation of the school day, timetables, holidays, and the organisation of teaching. They may, for example, decide to shorten the school week, change the dates and length of school holidays, or decide to stay open longer in the afternoons, to teach subjects such as additional foreign languages or information technology.16
A result of the legislation was more flexible timetables. Previously, the school timetable was usually based on a six-day week, from 8 am to 1 pm. Schools are now free to opt for a shorter working week (Monday to Friday) with afternoon classes and are able to introduce half-term holidays or redistribute the hours of curricular subjects, for example by organising 'full immersion' courses in a foreign language. They are also able to decide on the contents of 20 per cent of the curriculum, although what is taught during this proportion of curriculum still has to meet certain nationally-determined objectives. (Schools also now have to produce an information brochure for prospective parents which lists the compulsory, optional and extra-curricular courses on offer.)42
In upper secondary education, the compulsory and optional subjects studied vary according to school type, but in most types of upper secondary schools the subjects studied in the first cycle are usually more general than in the second, where more specialist, individual subject options are selected.21
See the table under 5.4.2 for further information.
The curricula (programmi di insegnamento) for each subject and for each type of school, issued by the Ministry, contain educational targets, guidelines on methods, and syllabuses for individual subjects.27
In upper secondary education, the curricula outline standards and contents for the common area, that is to say, the subject areas, which all students must study, regardless of the specialisation they have chosen to follow, as well as for the area of specialised teaching.25
In Italy, the State does not recognise any particular skills as providing an essential foundation for adult and working life.24A specific category of 'key skills' is not specified.
In upper secondary education, textbooks are not prescribed by the State; they are produced by commercial publishers, and are selected for use in class by the Teachers' Assembly or Teacher Council (Collegio dei docenti), comprising all the teachers in the school and including parents' representatives. This chooses one or more textbook(s) per subject. Textbooks are not provided by the State, but are purchased by parents.26
Every year, the Government takes steps to reduce the financial burden on families by issuing a circular which:
Recent government reform 4has, however, allocated additional government funds to assist parents in purchasing textbooks for students in lower and upper secondary education. In upper secondary education, long-term loans are available for this purpose.39