Education in Italy
The education in the Kingdom of Italy is provided predominantly by the public authorities, being regulated by the Ministry of National Education and Science. In 2009 state spending for education amounted to 5.6% of GDP, or 17.9% of consolidated state budget. Private institutions account for 5% of pre-school enrolment, 2.5% of elementary school enrolment and 10% of university-level students. The regular and mandatory course of school training is 11-years long (6 to 17). Education in state-owned secondary schools is free; university level education is free with reservations: a substantial number of students are enrolled for full pay. Male and female students have almost equal shares in all stages of education, while the university education is still male-predominant. The literacy rate in the Italian Social Republic is 99.6%, while in the Italian Empire the rate significantly downgrades.
In general, the tendency of the Italian educational system is to maintain the high qualification of the vocational school, and in particular of the technical institutes. In the various adjustments, the political will has always been to promote white arts, crafts, carpentry, sewing, appraisers, traders, plumbers, mechanics and so on. The declared intent is to enhance the trades, recognizing the creative value of the work. The social policy is linked to the definition of the school system: those starting to work at the age of 19-20 have the prospect of reaching 30 with solid financial, contributory, and starting a family and a home.
On the other hand, the University is destined to be a hotbed of quality thinking.
Labour and schools
The Charter of the School, issued by the Grand Council of Fascism in February 1939 and in reference to the Charter of Labour, defines the Italian School as the "first foundation of solidarity of all social forces, from the Family to the Guild, to the State". In the modern conception of school, work and labour are intended to exercise a formative function together with culture. Culture and work and labour give students a sense of their identity and place in the human creative activity.
The creation of work shifts is foreseen for schools of orders higher than Elementary School, shifts that take place outside the school and in the fields, in the workshops, in the fields, on the sea. The aim is not only to acquire an intellectual knowledge of work, but also to orientate towards national production that embraces the essence of the corporatist order. The work shifts are mostly active during summer holidays, under the guidance and control of technical and educational staff, and also in special camps militarily organized. Growing up over the years, the student is increasingly occupied in the internal phase of the school service and in the external working service: the aim is that to form him or her as a complete adult, by means of education, recreation (also as a way to combat) and labour.
While the Elementary School sees work and labour as a way to form the future adulthood, while the Middle Schools teaches work and labour as future methods to bee free and productive, the High Schools and the vocational schools teach to be free and responsible also while accepting subordination.
In the Elementary School the first experiences at work are made, proceeding gradually, constituting a progressive path from the nursery schools (where the work is identified with the game), to eventually emerge as a constant and scrupulous guide for the formation of the character.
In Lower Middle School, work and labour, enriched with new motives, rise to the rank of a method of real productive work, and take concrete form in practical exercises that take place in factories, on construction sites, on farms. Pupils are still under the guidance and control of technical and educational staff. The Middle School is considered to be the real forge, the most rigorous scrutiny of the orientation of the future makers of the Fatherland.
In the Upper Middle School (high and technical schools alike), work and labour clarify values and interests of executive work, fighting the classist and intellectualist tendencies, which led to the degradation and the devaluation of work and operational subordination. The education at work continues also in the Work Training Institutes, in an organic direction or the formation of the work consciousness that, going beyond the didactic phase, leads to the understanding of the productive work.
At the University level, courses and specialisation schools are purely scientific and specialist in nature, courses and schools of specialisation, as well as professional higher education (I.Fo.T.S. and I.Te.S. institutes), are mainly for professional purposes in relation to specific branches of activity. Sport training, military training and professional training contribute to the spiritual formation of young people.
Fascist propaganda through schools
Public schools heavily use propaganda to indoctrinate children into Fascist ideology. Textbooks and posters are used to teach Italian youth the importance of "national and racial consciousness". Students' school work is often provided in an ideological context.
Only teachers who are enrolled in the P.N.F. and can prove they are "Roman" were teaching the Italian youth. In addition, the P.N.F. monitors courses for compliance with the Fascist values. Children's books are written in order to instill the official Fascist worldview at a young age. Additionally, after-school activities and weekend trips are regularly sponsored by the G.I.L. These activities often act as recruitment meetings for the participating school children.
Primary education
The Elementary school (Scuola Elementare) is commonly preceded by three years of non-compulsory nursery school. The elementary school lasts five years (6 to 10). Until middle school, the educational curriculum is the same for all pupils: although one can attend a private or state-funded school, the subjects studied are the same (with the exception of special schools for the blind or the hearing-impaired). The students are given a basic education in Italian, English, mathematics, natural sciences, history, geography, social studies, physical education and visual and musical arts. Pupils had to pass an exam to access Scuola Media Inferiore (Lower Middle School), comprising the composition of a short essay in Italian, a written maths test, and an oral test on the other subjects.
Secondary education
Secondary education is divided in two stages: Lower Middle School and Upper Middle School, which corresponds to the high-school level.
The Lower Middle School (Scuola Media Inferiore, or simply Scuola Media) lasts three years (roughly from age 11 to 13), and provides further education on the subjects studied at the Elementary School, with the addition of Technology and an European language other than English. At the end of the third year students sit an exam which enables them to continue their education. In Italian Empire, the language subjects vary according the language spoken in the area; however, the teaching of Italian is mandatory and the second European language is often replaced by another Imperial language.
The Upper Middle School (Scuola Media Superiore, or simply Scuola Superiore) lasts five years (even though some Work Training Institutes might offer a diploma after only three years). All tiers involve an exam at the end of the final year, required to gain a diploma and have access to further education.
The secondary school situation varies, since there are several types of schools differentiated by subjects and activities. The main division is between the High School, the Technical School the Work Training Institute. Any kind of secondary school that lasts 5 years grants access to the final exam, called Secondary Diploma Exam. This exam takes place every year around the middle of the year and grants access to University.
While the education received in a High School, which involves a broad and specifically academic curriculum, is necessary to enter University, Technical School and Work Training Institute students have access to it, provided they pass the specific tests which are mandatory in all faculties.
High School
The Italian High School (Liceo) concept refers to a class of secondary schools oriented towards the study of the arts and sciences and the prosecution of study at the University. All of the High Schools have many subjects in common, such as Italian Literature, or Mathematics, while other subjects are peculiar to a particular type of High School. The distinctive features of the High School, however, are the teaching of History of Philosophy and the vocational training for the University education.
Types of High School include:
- High Classic School (Liceo Classico), which features Ancient Greek, Latin, history, military education and philosophy as its most important subjects.
- High Sciences School (Liceo Scientifico), whose programme reminds in part that of High Classic School in teaching Latin, history and philosophy, but is more oriented towards mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geologic science and computer science and is also focused on drawing and art history.
- High Arts School (Liceo Artistico), which is oriented toward arts teaching – both in a theoretical (i.e. art history) and practical (i.e. drawing sessions) way. Its subjects are painting, sculpture, decoration, graphics, design, audiovisual, multimedia, set design and architecture.
All High school teach English, an European language and (optionally) a language spoken in the Italian Empire.
Technical School
The Technical School, divided into Technical-Technological School and Technical-Economic School, is more oriented toward practical subjects, such as jurisdiction, accountancy, tourism, metalworking, electronics, chemical industry, biotechnology, visual communication, fashion and food industry, construction management and geo-technics.
Work Training Institute
The Work Training Institute offers a form of secondary education oriented towards practical subjects and enables the students to start searching for a job as soon as they have completed their studies (sometimes sooner, as some schools offer a diploma after 3 years) and is even more specific in terms of vocational course offerings than the Technical School: however, in Work Training Institute a student is not provided of a Diploma, but of a Licence (5 years) or a mere Qualification.
School ranks
| Civil Service Rank | Support personnel | Teaching personnel |
|---|---|---|
| A-VII | - | School director |
| A-VIII | Director of General and Administrative Services | Chief of Professors |
| B-VI | Administrative/Technical Chief Secretary | Expert Professor |
| B-VII | Administrative/Technical Principal Secretary | Principal Professor |
| B-VIII | Administrative/Technical First Secretary | Ordinary Professor |
| B-VI | Administrative/Technical Secretary | Trainee Professor |
| C-VIII | Cook | - |
| C-IX | Cloakroom attendant | - |
| D-X | Agricultural facilities attendant | - |
| D-XI | Janitor | - |
Higher Education
Higher education is mainly provided by a large network of public and state-affiliated universities. State-run universities of Italy are under the supervision of Italian's Ministry of National Education. There is also a number of private universities and state-run post-secondary educational centres providing a vocational instruction.
All Degrees require for enrolment to hold a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification; most degrees are at nationwide programmed access. The title that comes with the degree is that of Doctor. The qualification allows the enrolment of trade registers, allows access to the first and second level masters and, in general, the inclusion in high-skilled workplaces.
Universities in Italy can be divided into 4 groups:
- State-funded public universities: this category comprises most of Italian university, particularly the largest institutions;
- Universities funded by other public authority (other than the state, such as Corporations);
- Private universities officially recognised by the Ministry of National Education;
- Superior graduate schools, which focus only on postgraduate education.
Professional higher education
Higher education in Italy is mainly covered by universities and superior graduate schools, with almost no professional or vocational school following the secondary education. This is considered a weak point of the Italian post-secondary education.[8] However, Italian system provides a few vocational schools and courses. There are two main vocational paths after having obtained a secondary degree: those courses called "Higher technical training and education" (Istruzione e Formazione Tecnica Superiore, I.Fo.T.S.), and the "Higher technical institutes" (Istituti Tecnici Superiori, I.Te.S.).
I.Fo.T.S. were established in the late 1990s and are managed on regional basis by the relevant Corporatist Council. An IFTS course lasts between 1 and 2 years and it is usually strictly connected with a secondary school specialised in the same field of studies. I.Te.S. courses, created in 2000, last 2 years and are managed by a secondary institute in collaboration with local universities or institutions.
Superior Graduate Schools
The Superior Graduate School (Scuola Superiore Universitaria) offer recognized national and international titles, including the Diploma di Perfezionamento equivalent to a Doctorate, Dottorato di Ricerca i.e. Research Doctorate or Doctor Philosophiae i.e. Ph.D. and are recognized by the Ministry of National Education as autonomous. There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.
Provincial Education Authority
The Provincial Education Authority (Italian: Provveditorato Provinciale agli Studi) is the main organ of peripheral administration under the Ministry of National Education. The Provincial Education Authority is a complex organ, consisting of the Director of Education (Provveditore agli Studi) and of the Office of Education dependent upon the Director. The jurisdiction of the Provincial Education Authority coincides with the Province. Each Provincial School Authority is further subdivided into functional jurisdictions, which are only decentralised sub-agencies.
Director of Education
The Director of Education (Provveditore agli Studi) is the governing official who is responsible for the local bureaucratic administration of the primary and secondary education; the Office of Education, Deans and Professors of secondary schools, the local School Inspectors, the elementary school teachers and headmasters or headmistress, hierarchically depend all on the Provveditore. The Provveditore is the supreme authority of the Province in primary and secondary education matters, and he or she has on his/her direct dependencies secondary education schools, while elementary schools depend on a separate subordinate body: however, the Provveditore of Education, chairing the Provincial School Council, has a pervasive check also on the elementary schools. The Provveditore is also the authority whom the Provincial Delegation of the National School Inspectorate reports to. Among the powers of the Provveditore in the field of primary school, the most important are those related to the supervision on both public and private primary teaching, those related to the appointments and transfers of teachers and closing - in urgent and serious cases - of the schools.
As regards to secondary education, in particular the Provveditore is responsible for the provision of teaching assignments, the keeping of professional registers of secondary school teachers and the imposition of disciplinary sanctions to them. The Provveditore is also responsible for all matters related to the periodic increases in salaries of subordinate personnel, to the appointment of Deans, to their exemption and to the granting of special leave. The Deputy Director of Education (Vice Provveditore agli Studi) may be delegated to carry out the Director of Education's functions and replace him or her. The Education Office assists the administrator in his work, but can not perform legally relevant acts: this is sole responsibility of the Director of Education. The Education Office is made up of officials and employees of the Ministry of Culture posted in the District; usually there is a special quota of employees hired directly in their District. The Director of Education work, however, under the supervision and control of the Prefect.
Councils, Committees and Boards
Each Provincial Education Authority has a number of committees and councils which support the action of the Director of Education and of the School Office. These are:
- Provincial School Council:
- Provincial Primary School Commission
- Provincial Commission of First Instance for Teachers without tenure
- Provincial Commission of the Second Instance for Teachers without tenure
- Provincial Commission for Litigation.
Provincial School Council
The Provincial School Council is the single advisory body for the Primary School and for Lower Secondary School. Within the Council, it is established the Provincial Primary School Commission: it exerts advisory functions in Primary School matters and it is composed of the Director of Education, who chairs and presides, a subject resident in the province who has particular skills in primary education (usually an university professor), a Dean or a Secondary School teacher, a primary school teacher elected by colleagues, a representative of the District Governor administration, a representative of the District capital, a representative of other Municipalities and of Regions and one representative of Arrondissements in the District. The main responsibilities of the Commission office are mainly determining the plan for the establishment of new primary schools and expression of opinions on the construction projects of new school buildings.
Administrative Commissions
The Administrative Commissions are those commissions empowered to hear litigation and to carry out the preparation of rankings of the school District personnel. There are thee Commissions: after these commissions, a judicial remedy may be tried.
The Commission of First Instance for Secondary teachers without tenure has the task of compiling the rankings of teachers aspiring to the assignment and of substitute teachers in Secondary schools. The Commission is composed of the Deans, school teachers and officials from the Office of Education.
The Commission of Second Instance for Secondary teachers without tenure is responsible for decisions on appeals against the decisions rankings compiled by the Commission of First Instance and against the nominations, appointments and dismissals of the substitute teachers. It is composed of the Director of Education, of Deans and school teachers.
The Provincial Commission for permanent litigation - composed by the Director of Education (who presides), a school Dean, two school teachers and an official of the Local Education Authority - decides on appeals against the Commission of Second Instance, expresses binding opinions to the imposition of disciplinary sanctions for non-tenured professors and, optionally and without binding power, expresses opinions on any other matter relating to the management of non-tenured teaching staff.
Ministry of National Education and Science
The Ministry of National Education and Science is centrally organised as it follows:
- Minister's Secretariat
- Cabinet Office
- Minister's Technical Secretariat
- Press office
- Legislative Office
- Inspectorate General for Education Institutions
- Inspectorate General for vocational secondary school
- Inspectorate General for Artistic Education
- Inspectorate General for School Attendance
- Inspectorate General for Physical and sports education
- Service for kindergarten
- Advisory Board for Central and Provincial Administration
- Committee on ministry-related services
- Higher Education Council
- National Research Council
- Italian National Commission for Intellectual Cooperation
- Council for the protection of natural beauty
- General Secretariat
- General Planning Division
- Efficiency Evaluation Division
- Office for External Relations
- Division for recognition of foreign qualifications
- Division for Economic Support and Family Services;
- Law office
- Accounting and cashier office
- Central Copy shop
- Directorate General for General and Administrative Affairs and Personnel;
- Directorate General for Elementary Education;
- Directorate General for the Medium Education;
- Directorate General for Classical, Scientific and Magisterial Education;
- Directorate General for Technical Education;
- Directorate General for Vocational Education;
- Directorate General for University Education
- Directorate General for Research;
- Directorate General for Academies and Libraries;
- Directorate General for cultural exchanges and border areas;
- Directorate General for Popular Education and Culture Spread;
- Directorate General for Non-State Education;
- Division for supporting the activities of autonomous school institutions;
- Division for planning on parity schools and schools and non-state education courses;
- Directorate General for School Building and School Furniture;
- General Accounting.
Directorate General for General and Administrative Affairs and Personnel
The Directorate General for General and Administrative Affairs and Personnel (Italian: Direzione Generale per gli Affari Generali e Amministrativi e il Personale) is in charge of general planning and personnel management (including managers, teachers and administrative, technical and support personnel). The Directorate General also deals with students' school abandonment and dispersal. The Directorate General is organized into nine Divisions:
- Division I - Teachers and University Professors
- Division II - School Managers;
- Division III - Administrative, technical and support personnel;
- Division IV - Recruiting and training of teachers;
- Division V - Recruiting and training of School Managers;
- Division VI - Editorial Conventions;
- Division VII - Litigation;
- Division VIII - Innovation;
- Division IX - Students care.
Directorate General for University Education
The Directorate General for University Education (Italian: Direzione Generale per l'Istruzione Universitaria) carries out the functions of management and control of general university education and higher education. The organisation deals with the planning and planning of the university system, with the functions of direction, supervision and coordination, with the provision of regulations and funding of universities and institutions of high artistic education. The Directorate General directs the orientation of incoming and outgoing university students, disciplines and directs access systems and training paths. In addition, the Directorate General is constantly in touch with the General Directorates of Classical Education and Teaching in order to facilitate the connection between schools and the university.
In order to accomplish these tasks, the Directorate-General is subdivided into two Central Offices and four Divisions, grouping in turn 21 Offices.
- Central Office I - General Affairs and Planning
- Central Office II - Data management and support activities
- Division I - Institutional Relations
- Office I - Supporting regulatory coordination activities in matters pertaining to the Management.
- Office II - Control of statutes and general regulations of Universities and Institutes of Higher Education
- Office III - inisterial appointments
- Office IV - Relations with the Ministry of Corporations
- Division II - Plans
- Office I - Institution and accreditation of higher education institutions operating on national territory.
- Office II - Multi-year programming
- Office III - Resources allocation plan
- Division III - University Professors
- Office I - National competitions
- Office II - Local contract control
- Office III - Foreign careers assessment
- Office IV - Disciplinary Commissions for the Confirmation of Professors
- Office V - Granting national scientific approval.
- Office VI - Direct national contracts
- Office VII - Professors emeritus and degrees honoris causaam.
- Office VIII - Social security
- Division IV - Students and Courses
- Office I - Regulations and didactic arrangements
- Office II - Accreditation of university courses
- Office III - Recognition of foreign qualifications
- Office IV - Protection of academic titles
- Office V - Certification of Italian academic qualifications abroad.
- Office VI - Access to closed number courses
Directorate General for Research
As far as scientific research is concerned, the Directorate General for Research (Italian: Direzione Generale per la Ricerca) carries out the programming and coordination of scientific research at national and international level, including the definition of the National Research Program. In addition, the Directorate General deals with discipline, programming and coordination, non-instrumental research bodies and related monitoring. The Directorate General is the body responsible for coordinating Italian participation in national and international research programs with regard to funding of large research infrastructures, dealing with scientific cooperation at national and international level, including through specific links between universities and research bodies.
The aim is to exploit researchers' careers and to access specific national funding programs. This aim is pursued through the definition of information needs and, in conjunction with the general direction for contracts, of purchases. Finally, the Directorate General deals with the issue, control and processing of scientific data.
The Directorate General for Research is subdivided into four Divisions and 25 Offices.
- Division I - Budget and Accounting.
- Office I - Financial Requirements and Cash Flows
- Office II - Accounting for the financial resources of the Directorate-General
- Office III - Investment Funds in Scientific and Technological Research (FIRST).
- Office III - Special Accounting
- Office IV - Recovering and Certification of Credits.
- Office V - Personnel
- Office VI - Purchasing and logistics planning
- Division II - Cooperation
- Office I - Businesses
- Office II - Collaboration between subjects
- Office III - Collaboration with the Ministry of Corporations
- Office IV - Evaluation
- Office V - Intergovernmental Projects
- Office VI - Support for institutional activities
- Office VII - National Research Registry.
- Division III - Public Research
- Office I - Basic Research
- Office II - Strategic Research
- Office III - Financing programming
- Office IV - Surveillance and evaluation
- Office V - National Research Database
- Division IV - Programming and funding of research and special programs
- Office I - Direction of public bodies and public research bodies.
- Office II - Evaluation and financing of business plans
- Office III - Definition of program evaluation criteria
- Office IV - Supervision and control
- Office V - Administrative and accounting inspections
- Office VI - Ministerial appointments
- Office VII - Collection and transmission of results