educationitaly.org

It is hardly possible to divide education in Italy into elementary and secondary, as nowadays there are three main sections.
 
At first Italian children go to “scuola elementare”. It is the first level of education. Since children get 6 they start going to school. “Scuola elementare” lasts for 5 years. After it pupils go to “scuola media”. In three years they are getting “Diploma di Licenza di Scuola Media”. Only after it pupils have the right to continue their studying. Obligatory education ends when children are 14. Then they may take 4 or 5-year course.
 
There are many high schools in Italy, so pupils can choose any “liceo”. The specializations are various: classical, artistic, linguistic or scientific. The other way school graduates may choose is to go to “instituto”, where they may get technical, industrial or commercial education. Besides that Italian institutes prepare techers for elementary schools.
 
To complete the course and get “diploma di maturita” students take a State examination. After ir students have the right to study at the university. You have to take a 5-year course to be able to attend an Italian university. If your course is a 4-year one, be ready to have an additional integrated year.
 
But not so long ago Italy faced some changes in the education. One of the recent changes is that the age of compulsory education is 16 now. Instead of “liceo” and “instituto”, Italian pupils are obligednow to have 2-year general courses, “biennio”. Then three more years of the specialized education go (“trienno” is optional). There are many new disciplines taught. Students have 34 hours of classes per week. All this leads to a good level of Italian students’ education.