| ILO | International Labour Organisation |
| IT | Information technology |
| MPI | Ministry of Public Education |
| NCVQ | (The former) National Council for Vocational Qualifications (England) (now QCA). |
| NFER | National Foundation for Educational Research (in England and Wales). |
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (England), formed on 1 October 1997 from the merger of SCAA and NCVQ. |
| SCAA |
(The former) School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (England) (now QCA). |
| SSIS | Postgraduate teachers' college for secondary school teachers. See scuola di specializzazione. |
| Accademia di belle arti | Fine Arts Academy | Higher institute of applied arts. |
| Collegio dei docenti | Teachers' Assembly (or Teacher Council) | A body which comprises all the permanent and temporary teachers of each primary school group or individual primary or secondary school, and is chaired by the principal or headteacher. It formulates teaching and educational plans for each school year, taking into account specific local requirements, national guidelines and state legislation; decides on types of interdisciplinary coordination; periodically evaluates teaching to check that it conforms to planned objectives; and proposes improvements when necessary. It also selects textbooks and teaching materials, in consultation with the Class Councils, and makes proposals concerning the organisation of the school and in-service teacher training. It also includes parent representatives. |
| Comitato per la valutazione degli insegnanti | Commission made up of two or four teachers, depending on the number of teachers in the school, headed by the school principal, that has the task of assessing the service given by a teacher. | |
| concorsi | Competitive examinations for recruitment to upper secondary school teaching posts. | |
| Consiglio di classe | Class Council | At secondary level, a body which comprises teachers of the same class and four elected parents' representatives, two of whom are replaced by two students' representatives at upper secondary level (14+). |
| Consiglio di interclasse | Interclass Council | Exists at primary level and consists of the teachers of all the parallel classes and one elected parent for each class. It formulates educational and teaching plans for the class, checks the progress of teaching and discipline in the class, organises supplementary and extramural activities and is responsible for curriculum and assessment. |
| Consiglio di intersezione | Group Council | At pre-school nursery level, the equivalent to the Interclass Council in primary education. |
| Consiglio di istituto | School Council | The body responsible for budgetary matters and for the organisation and planning of non-educational school activities at the local level. Within the limits of the budget and law, it deliberates the purchase, renewal and maintenance of school equipment and teaching materials and decides on the use of premises and equipment, on extracurricular and sports activities, on remedial and support courses and on cooperation with other schools. The School Council is made up of representatives elected by teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and, in upper secondary schools, students. The principal or headteacher is an ex-officio member. A chairman is elected from parents' representatives. |
| Consiglio Nazionale della Pubblica Istruzione | The National Education Council | Assists the Minister of Education with the planning and supervision of education policy and comprises 74 members, elected every five years, from various categories representing teachers, administrative staff, inspectors, staff from the offices of central and local education authorities, the labour market and universities. |
| diploma di maestro d'arte | master of art diploma | The diploma taken on completion of the first three years of the five-year course offered at the upper secondary Istituti d'arte. |
| diploma di specializzazione | At the level of higher education, a certificate of qualification issued upon completion of the course of studies at the third university level. | |
| diploma di Stato d'arte applicata | See diploma maturità d'arte applicata. | |
| diploma di superamento dell'esame di Stato | Certificate of completion of courses of study at the level of upper secondary school, issued after passing the final upper secondary school leaving examination. | |
| diploma maturità d'arte applicata | applied arts upper secondary school leaving certificate | The certificate taken on completion of the final two-years of the five-year course at the Istituto d'arte. Since 1999, this certificate has been known as the diploma di Stato d'arte applicata. |
| Esame di Stato | Since 1999, the examination taken on completion of upper secondary education (at around age 18/19), which entitles the successful holder to proceed to higher education. Prior to 1999, this examination was known as the 'esame di maturità '). | |
| Ginnasio | The lower cycle, first two years, of the Liceo classico (in the 4th and 5th Ginnasio classes). | |
| Istituto d'arte
(plural, Istituti) |
art school | Upper secondary level art school for students aged 14+, which offers a general education plus various arts options to prepare students for employment in occupations which require artistic training. |
| Istituto magistrale
(plural, Istituti) |
primary teacher training school | Upper secondary level teacher training school, offering four-year training for students aged 14+ wishing to become primary school teachers. See section 3.2.4. These schools are gradually being phased out. |
| Istituto professionale
(plural, Istituti professionali) |
vocational school(s) | Upper secondary school which usually offers initial three-year courses for students aged 14-17 and possible subsequent courses of extended study until the age of 19 for those attending post-qualification courses. On completion of the initial three years, students are qualified to enter the labour market in their specialist area. |
| Istituto tecnico
(plural, Istituti) |
technical school(s) | Upper secondary technical school for students aged 14+. There are various different types of technical school: agriculture, commerce, business with foreign languages, tourism, surveying, foreign trade, naval, and "female" occupations (open to both female and male students despite their name). |
| (diploma di) licenza elementare | National primary school leaving examination taken on completion of Year 5 of compulsory education, age 11. | |
| (diploma di) licenza media | Certificate of completion of the lower secondary school course, issued after passing the final lower secondary school diploma examination, usually taken at age 14. | |
| (esame di) licenza media | Lower secondary school leaving examination, taken on completion of lower secondary school at age 14. | |
| Liceo | Upper secondary school usually offering a specific type of education, eg. the Liceo scientifico offers upper secondary education with a scientific emphasis, the Liceo artistico specialises in the arts etc. | |
| Liceo artistico | Upper secondary school for students aged 14+ which offers specialist education in painting, sculpture, stage design and architecture, for those who wish to undertake higher education in the arts, (see also the Istituto d'arte). | |
| Liceo classico | Upper secondary school for students aged 14+ which provides a classical, academic education to prepare students for university and other forms of higher education. | |
| Liceo scientifico | Upper secondary school for students aged 14+ which provides courses in science aimed particularly at students intending to follow university studies in science, medicine and surgery. | |
| (diploma di) maturità | Prior to 1999, the name for the upper secondary school leaving certificate, obtained at approximately age 19. It granted access to university studies. This has now been replaced by the esame di Stato. | |
| (diploma di) maturità artistica | The leaving certificate previously obtained on successful completion of the four-year course in the Liceo artistico. (Grants access either to the Fine Arts Academy or to a university's Faculty of Architecture, dependent on which 'track' the student followed during the course. A further successful year's study is required to permit students access to any university faculty.) Since 1999, this certificate has been known as the (diploma di) Stato artistica. | |
| (diploma di) maturità classica | The specific leaving certificate previously received on successful completion of the course in the upper secondary Liceo classico. Since 1999, this certificate has been known as the (diploma di) Stato classica. | |
| (diploma di) maturità scientifica | The specific leaving certificate prevoiusly received on successful completion of the course in the upper secondary Liceo scientifico. Since 1999, this certificate has been known as the (diploma di) Stato scientifica. | |
| non sufficiente | fail | Fail grade (grade five) in the five-level grading grid for assessment in compulsory education. |
| organi collegiali | Assemblies that participate in the management of a school, giving it the characteristics of a community that interacts with the wider social and civic community. | |
| programmi di insegnamento | curricula | The curricula for each subject and for each type of school which are issued by the national Ministry and contain educational targets, guidelines on methods, and syllabuses for individual subjects. |
| quizzone | Colloquial term for the cross-curricular, written test which is now included as part of the esame di Stato. | |
| scheda (personale) | student report or record | These individual reports are completed by teachers and provide a record of a student's progress in compulsory education in Italy. They appear regularly (at the end of the three- to four-month assessment periods into which the school year is divided). |
| scuola dell'infanzia
(plural, scuole) |
pre-school establishment/nursery school | General term encompassing all pre-school establishments for children below compulsory school age (6 years). |
| ##scuola di specializzazione (SSIS) | At the level of higher education, the institute that has, as its primary objective, the training of specialists in various professional sectors. Courses have a duration of at least two years and lead to a university diploma of the third level. | |
| scuola elementare
(plural, scuole elementari) |
primary school(s) | The Italian primary school which caters for students in the first five years of eight-year (nine-year from 2000) compulsory education, aged 6-11. |
| scuola legalmente riconosciuta
(plural, scuole legalmente riconosciute) |
legally recognised school(s) | Officially recognised private schools in the secondary sector, established according to Ministerial Decree, which may be administered by public bodies or individuals. The curricula, student assessment and teachers' qualifications must be similar to those in state schools. Whilst recognised schools in the secondary sector charge fees, they must provide free places to secondary level students receiving local authority scholarships. |
| scuola magistrale
(plural, scuole) |
nursery teacher training school | An upper secondary educational institution which offers three-year courses for students aged 14+ who wish to become nursery school teachers. See section 3.2.4. These school are gradually being phased out. |
| scuola media
(plural, scuole medie) |
lower secondary school(s) | Compulsory and non-selective lower secondary school for students aged 11 - 14. |
| scuola pareggiate
(plural, scuole) |
state authorised secondary school(s) | Officially recognised private schools in the secondary sector which are administered by non-state or religious public bodies. The curricula, student assessment and teachers' qualifications must be similar to those in state schools. Whilst such schools charge fees, they must provide free places to secondary level students receiving local authority scholarships. |
| scuola parificate
(plural, scuole) |
state authorised primary school(s) | Officially recognised private schools in the primary sector, which are opened only by corporations, associations or organisations on the basis of an agreement with the provincial Director after they have the approval of the national Ministry of Public Education. The curricula, student assessment and teachers' qualifications must be similar to those in state schools. No fees are charged in such schools in the primary sector. |
| scuola private
(plural, scuole private) |
At all levels of education there are completely private institutions (scuole private) administered by private individuals or bodies corporate, charging fees and issuing qualifications that are not legally recognised. At primary level, their creation requires the authorisation of the Ministry of Public Education (MPI); at secondary level they do not require such approval but must comply with public order, hygiene and health regulations.
Cf. officially recognised private schools. | |
| scuola superiore
(plural, scuole superiori) |
upper secondary school(s) | General term for the various types of upper secondary school catering for students aged 14+. (Since the raising of the school leaving age from 14 to 15 in 2000, the first year of upper secondary education has been compulsory.) |
| scuola sussidiate
(plural, scuole) |
subsidised school(s) | Officially recognised private school at the primary level, established once it has the approval of the provincial Director of Education. The curricula, student assessment and teachers' qualifications must be similar to those in state schools. No fees are charged. |
| (diploma di) Stato | See esame di Stato. | |
| (diploma di) Stato artistica | See (diploma di) maturità artistica. | |
| (diploma di) Stato classica | See (diploma di) maturità classica. | |
| (diploma di) Stato scientifica | See (diploma di) maturità scientifica. | |
| sufficiente | pass | Pass grade (grade four of five) in the five-level grading grid for assessment in compulsory education. |
| officially recognised private schools
or recognised schools |
There are various types of officially recognised private schools at primary and secondary level, which are approved either by the national Ministry or the provincial Director of Education and consequently receive some state funding. In all forms of recognised school, the curricula, student assessment and teachers' qualifications must be similar to those in state schools. No fees are charged in recognised schools in the primary sector and, whilst recognised schools in secondary education do charge fees, they must provide free places to secondary level students receiving local authority scholarships. |