2. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PRE-PRIMARY Scuola dell’Infanzia 3 years-Age 3-6 PRIMARY Scuola Primaria 5 years-Age 6-11 LOWER SECONDARY Secondaria di 1° Grado 3 Years-Age 11-14 SECONDARY 5 years-Age 14-19

3. PRE-PRIMARY The “Scuola dell’Infanzia” is the first step of the school system in Italy. They can be state, private schools and schools run by local authorities. There are no fees to be paid at this level as it is not compulsory. The families pay only a small contribution for transports and canteen services. Low-income families are exempted. Objectives- The Pre-Primary school contributes to primary childhood development in the areas of self-sufficiency and language development which are further enhanced in Primary school.

4. PRIMARY SCHOOL Primary\Elementary School is the first compulsory part of the Italian educational system and consists of two consecutive divisions: A.Elementary School – lasting 5 years B.Middle School\Junior high-lasting 3 years Elementary School promotes individual diversity and personality development, facilitating the acquisition, development and basic ability of logical and critical thinking, favoring expressive teaching methods, including reading in at least one of the official languages of the European Union(English) in addition to Italian. It also sets the foundation of the use of the scientific method by studying the natural world, natural lwas and phenomenon. Elementary School gives the student the ability to evaluate their inter-personal abilities and is active in educating young citizens in the principal foundations of Italian civil society. (Law 53/2003)..The Organization of the timetable is arranged into modules: 27 weekly teaching hours, which become 30 including the teaching of a foreign language..Full time (tempo pieno): 40 weekly teaching hours with two teachers per class..School autonomy has allowed the schools more flexible solutions according to the families requirements, their available teaching staff, their structures and functioning services.

5. SECONDARY EDUCATION Secondary education is divided in two stages: 1°stage, corrisponding to Scuola Secondaria di 1° Grado (lower secondary school-middle school) Objectives: covers all the disciplines with the goal of the increased capacity of individual study and growth of organized social interaction, including reading and learning computer skills, increasing knowledge and skills keeping in mind social and cultural traditions and cultural and scientific evolution as they relate to modern times. This school progressively develops the ability and the competency of the students’ skills; establishing

6. expanded instruction and learning: including the introduction of a second European language and helping to orient them for the next step in their education. Lower secondary organization The lesson hours is divided into six days a week. Each hour lasts 60 minutes. There are 5 hours in a school day. Subjects Italian, Geography, History, Maths, Science, English, 2° Community language, Art, P.E, Tecnology, Religion(not compulsory), Music At the end of the first school cycle, students take a state examination to be admitted to the upper secondary level.

7. 2°stage corresponding to: Upper Secondary Education-High school Scuola Secondaria di 2°Grado This final part of the Italian educational system begins at 14, after passing the previous State exams and lasts five years ending with a final State exam obtaining a diploma. According to a recent reform(decreto legislativo 226\2005 and law 40\2007) of the education system the High school is divided into licei and istituti tecnici and professionali. For the school year 2009-2010 will continue to function the licei, istituti tecnici and the istituti professionali organized as per the old school system.

8. TYPES OF EDUCATION From 2010-2011 there will be six types of licei: Artistic upper secondary school Classical upper secondary school Linguistic upper school Scientific upper secondary school Music and coreutic upper secondary school Human science upper secondary school. Technical education from 2010-2011 will be divided into the Economic and Technologic. In the same period the Vocational school system will undergo a reform.

9. STUDENT NEEDS SUPPORT In Italy, disabled students are integrated in ordinary schools therefore, there is not a separate education system for these students. Integration started, in the middle seventies, in Scuole dell’Infanzia and Primary schools, and was progressively extended to the Secondary schools and universities. With the law 104\1999 there is a complete integration in the educational school system especially article 3 states” It is a disable person who has a physical disability, mental or sensory impairment, stabilized or progressive, which causes learning difficulties, reports, or integration work and to give rise to a process of social disadvantage or exclusion” and furthermore art. 12 “ 1. To the child from 0 to 3 years disable is guaranteed a place in a nursery. 2. It is guaranteed the right to the education of the disable person in the sections of kindergarten, in common classes of educational institutions of all levels and in the universities. 3. Inclusive education is directed towards developing the potential of the disable person with learning, communication, relationships and socialization difficulties. 4. The right to education and education can not be prevented from learning difficulties or other difficulties stemming from disability-related disability.