NOTES
(by DuoItalian)

Free State education is offered to all children in Italy regardless of nationality. Children attending the Italian education system have the following non-compulsory options available to them before the age of 6 (sometimes 5 1/2).

  • asilo nido (Daycare Centres) 0-3 years old
  • scuola materna (Pre-School -or- Nursery School) 3-5 years old

Compulsory education is mandatory from the age of 6 to 16 years in Italy and covers the 8 years of first-cycle education, comprising 5 years of primary or elementary schools and 3 years of lower secondary school (also the first two years of the upper secondary schools).

  • scuola primaria (Primary School) -or- scuola elementare (Elementary School) 6-11 years old
  • scuola secondaria di primo grado (First Grade Secondary School) -or- scuola media (Middle School) 11-14 years old

After completion of the first cycle of education, students take a state examination to be admitted to the upper secondary education level in order to complete the final 5 years of their state education.

  • scuola secondaria di secondo grado (Second Grade Secondary School) -or- scuola superiore (High School) 14-19 years old

Here, students in Italy have two choices: the liceo (similar to the American high school), which is more academic in nature, and an istituto, which is essentially a vocational school.

The first two years all students use the same state-mandated curriculum of Italian language and literature, science, mathematics, foreign language, religion, geography, history, social studies and physical education (thus completing the aforementioned ten years of “mandatory compulsory education”). Specialized courses, called “indirizzi” begin in the third year.

Licei (Italian High Schools):

  • liceo classico (Classical High School)
  • liceo scientifico (Scientific High School)
  • liceo linguistico (Linguistic High School)
  • liceo artistico (Fine Arts High School)
  • liceo musicale e coreutico (Music and Dance High School)
  • liceo delle scienze umane (Human Sciences High School)

Istituti (Italian Vocational Schools):

  • istituto magistrale (Teacher Training School)
  • istituto tecnico economico (Economic Institute)
  • istituti tecnico tecnologico (Technical Institute)
  • istituti professionali (Professional Institutes)

Università (university) is available to all students if they have completed five years of secondary school and received an upper secondary school diploma. It is possible for students who have attended vocational schools to also attend a university.

Those attending university after completing their diploma di scuola superiore go for three years (four years for teaching qualifications) to achieve their laurea (Bachelor’s Degree).

VOCABULARY
(from Duolingo)
il librobook
l'insegnanteteacher
il professoreprofessor
lo studentestudent
gli alunnipupils
il principiantebeginner
la classeclass
la scuolaschool
l'universitàuniversity
il liceohigh school
l'educazioneeducation
la capitalecapitol
l'aulaclassroom
il concettoconcept
il corsocourse
la laureagraduation
il dipartimentodepartment
la descrizionedescription
il dizionariodictionary
la diplomadiploma
la tesithesis
gli esempiexamples
l'esameexam
l'esercizioexercise
la spiegazioneexplanation
i votivotes
i compitihomework
l'istituzioneinstitution
l'istruzioniinstructions
la lingualanguage
la lezionelesson
la bibliotecalibrary
l'erroreerror
la paginapage
la cartapaper
i paragrafiparagraphs
la matitapencil
la pennapen
il progettoproject
le pagellereport cards
il semestresemester
la frasesentence
la provatest
il testotext
il titolotitle
la parolaword
le regolerules
il livellolevel
la storiahistory
studiareto study

 

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