COMENIUS 1.3 SEAT-LP "SYSTEM OF EVALUATION FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS"
2002 - 2003
LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE "LEONARDO DA VINCI"
SORA - ITALY
ITALIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
ITALY: some information and data
Italy is a Democratic Republic organised on the basis of the 1946 Constitution. The capital city is Rome.
The fundamental educational principles, sanctioned by the National Constitution are: freedom in teaching; the State's duty to ensure a network of scholastic institutions open to all without distinction; the right of individuals to establish schools with no onus to the State; the duty of parents to educate their children for at least eight years; the cost-free nature of compulsory education offered by state schools.
In the case of parents who do not have the necessary means, the law must enable them to carry out their duty. All capable and deserving students, even if they lack the necessary means, have the right to reach the highest levels of education.
The official language is Italian, although in certain areas of the country, where there are populations that speak a different language, the use of the local language for teaching is officially recognised.
The country covers an area of 301,377 Km² and has a population of 57,576,429.
The most wide spread religion is Roman Catholicism though Italy has no state religion.
PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
The Directives regarding educational activities issued with the Ministerial Decree of 3rd June 1991 confirmed the educational and institutional autonomy of pre-school , attendance of which is not compulsory.
The aims of pre-school education, as set out in the Directives, are:
-the strengthening of the child's identity with respect to physical, intellectual and psychodynamic characteristics;
-the gradual achievement of independence by the child;
-the development of the child's abilities, in particular his or her sensorial, perspective, motor, linguistic and intellectual abilities.
The current situation
Pre-schools accept all children between the ages of 3 and 6, including those with adjustment and learning difficulties. The presence of pupils with difficulties or handicaps is considered a source of general enrichment.
Children attending pre-school are organised into groups (sections), with a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 28 children. The sections can be comprised of the children of the same age or of mixed age.
Attendance at state pre-schools is free of charge; a contribution is requested from families for transportation and meal services provided by the municipally.
Organization of school hours
The children's school activities normally occupy eight hours a day, which can be increased to nine or ten hours a day, five or six days a week, according to the needs of individual families; these activities are entrusted to two teachers per section.
In certain cases, the sections are permitted to operate mornings, only, with just one teacher.
Educational activities begin, as with the other types of schools, in the month of September, at a date which is set in each Region by the Regional School Superintendent, and conclude on 30th June
Curricular guidelines
The pre-school Directives underline the need to offer an educational programme which takes into account the children's experiences in their various living environments (in the first place, their own families). Moreover, on the basis of educational continuity, forms of collaboration with crèches and primary schools are also suggested.
The educational activities thus include <> which are singled out as follows:
- body and movement;
- speech and words;
- space, order and measure;
- messages, forms and media;
- the self and others.
Assessment
State pre-school educational activity directives prescribe that the initial assessment of ability with which the child is admitted to pre-school be followed by other checks, concluding with a final evaluation of the educational results obtained.
The assessment of children, carried out throughout the school year, makes it possible to continually adjust educational methods and content
PRIMARY EDUCATION
General information
Between 1985 and 1990, primary education in Italy underwent a process of profound renewal which was completed by the new programmes, approved in 1985, and the new system set out in a 1990 law.
The task of primary schools is to promote primary cultural literacy, with a view to social education and to interactions with others. In this regard, the educational, curricular and organisational connection with pre-schools and lower secondary schools becomes an important part of the educational process. The 1990 law indicates the ways and means by which the conditions for continuous educational activities at these three levels of education can be brought about.
Primary school attendance is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 11 years.
Compulsory education may also be carried out in non-state schools or through education organised by families. In the latter case, the State reserves the right to control the levels of competence reached by pupils by means of a final examination.
Primary schools are made up of five classes divided into two cycles according to the developmental levels of the children; the first cycle is comprised of the initial two classes in which basic skills are predominant; the second cycle gradually introduces pupils to concepts.
Classes are made up of no more than 25 pupils, with a limit of 20 pupils for classes containing a handicapped pupil for whom the presence of a support teacher is provided, in order to foster integration and learning.
The organization of school time
The school timetable is set at 27 Hours a week increasing to 30 hours in the second year to incorporate the introduction of a foreign language. The timetable covers 5 or 6 mornings a week with the addition of one or two afternoon periods based on parents' choices and needs.
With regard to organization, a system of more than one teacher for each class is used according to a structure called a "module". The law provides for the presence of three teachers for every two classes or four teachers for every three classes.
The curriculum
The 1990 Law outlines the directives of the new educational and organisational features for primary schools and justifies research into adjustments designed to meet cultural complexities and social needs.
The MIUR indicates the criteria on the basis of which schools must define their relations with pre-schools and lower secondary schools, group subjects into disciplinary areas, divide teaching time between the various subjects, and establish methods, intervals and criteria of assessment.
In this context the Teachers' Committee, co-ordinated by the School Head, plans the school's specific educational activities. This includes the planning and educational activities of the group of "module" teachers. Each teacher must co-ordinate his or her own teaching activities with those of the others in the module in order to guarantee the coherence and uniformity of the teaching process.
Primary school programmes are made up of the following subjects: Italian language, foreign language, mathematics, science, history-geography, social studies, religion, image educational, music education and physical education.
The teaching of the Catholic religion is provided by schools but is optional for pupils.
Teaching is divided into sectors called "areas" where subjects are grouped together.
Teachers collaborate in defining the teaching activities and are responsible for various subjects, grouped into the following three areas: linguistic-expressive, scientific-logical-mathematical and historic-geographical-social. Activities concerning non-verbal languages are assigned where they are best suited. The School Head assigns the areas to the module teachers according to their specific competences. Specific remedial activities are scheduled for handicapped or learning disabled pupils.
Pupil assessment
The regulations state that two of the teachers' 24 hours of weekly service should be dedicated to planning educational activities and carrying out the ongoing assessment of results.
Pupil evaluations are based on the results obtained at regular intervals and families are informed of these evaluations.
A final evaluation is formulated at the end of the school year. At the end of the fifth year, pupils take the primary school leaving certificate examination and gain access to lower secondary school, the second level of compulsory education. The examination consists of two written tests in the linguistic-expressive and logical-mathematical areas and an oral test.
LOWER SECONDARY EDUCATION
General information
The lower secondary school, or scuola media, is compulsory, free of charge and lasts three years. It represents the next step after primary education and is the only possible way of completing compulsory education. The requisite for admission is the possession of the primary school leaving certificate which is normally obtained at the age of 11.
In the general preface to the new teaching programmes introduced in 1979, lower secondary schools were defined as being educational, offering guidance and preparation for life. In fact, the main objective of this level of education is to offer pupils occasions for developing their personalities in all directions (moral, social, intellectual and creative).
Teaching therefore, must be suitable for the rhythms of psychophysical development and degrees of maturity of pupils aged between 11 and 14 years who are in a critical stage in the passage from childhood to adolescence.
Educational planning is the instrument which makes it possible to adjust teaching to the needs of individual pupils as well as to the specific realities of individual classes in individual schools.
The curriculum
The Ministerial Decree of 9th February 1979 gives the text of the programmes, still in force today, modifying the formulation and content of the programmes initiated in 1962.
This text describes the contents of each subject of study and with its educational and methodological aspects. It is the role of the Teachers' Committee to adapt the curriculum to the local reality of the individual school, making autonomous choices regarding method and content and perhaps even making experimental changes. The Class Committee then adapts it to the individual classes and to the starting level of the students introducing, in addition, experimental and interdisciplinary initiatives. Finally, the teacher transforms it into his or her own work program. The following subjects are taught:
Religious education
Italian
History
Civics
Geography
2 foreign language
Mathematics Physics
Chemistry and
Natural sciences
Technical education
Artistic educatio
Physical education.
The organization of school hours
The timetable of compulsory education is 30 hours a week (five hours each morning from Monday to Saturday), distributed among the various subjects of study as shown in the following timetable; each lesson lasts 60 minutes.
At the request of a sufficient number of families (enough to allow for the formation of one or more classes), the school may decide to extend the school timetable to 36-40 hours a week. These additional hours are used for extra-curricular or subsidiary study activities.
Pupil assessment
Each teacher notes in his or her Register systematic observations of the learning process and degree of maturity of each pupil; on the basis of these observation and notes, the teacher formulates an analytic assessment of the pupil and parents this to the Class Committee which meets each term to carry out assessment. The pupil's admission to the following year depends on this evaluation.
At the end of three years, pupils take the school leaving examination.
This examination consists of three written tests (Italian, mathematics and foreign language) and a multidisciplinary oral test. These tests should give the pupil the opportunity to show his or her ability to elaborate upon and organize his or her knowledge clearly and with a view to subsequent study choices.
At examination time the evaluations for each of the written tests and the oral examination are translated into a grade of <>, <>, <>, <> (all of which are valid for obtaining the leaving certificate) or <>, in which case the pupil must repeat the year.
Pupils who have passed the examination are given a lower secondary school leaving certificate, which is necessary for registering at an upper secondary school, and a certificate of the assessment and final grade decided upon by Class Committee which also contains <>.
UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Past and present
There are a variety of educational channels available at the upper secondary level. Its structure, with ancient historical roots, makes a distinction between studies that prepare students for the university and those that prepare students for employment. Upper secondary school remains the only level of education which has not change its structure for several decades. Despite this, the content of upper secondary education has changed over time on the basis of legislative interventions allowing for innovations at the school level. In fact, Presidential Decree no.419 of 1974 gives at schools the possibility of carrying out experimental innovations on a structural as well as on a methodological/educational level. Many initiatives which came about spontaneously at the initiative of Teachers' Committees, as required by the law, have been absorbed into ministerial programmes which have thus rationalized projects and resources. The increase in the number and type of courses available, the widespread introduction of new subjects(such as, for example, computer science), and the new programmes particularly concerning the first two years at this level of education, have profoundly modified what upper secondary school education, now offers. In fact, today, over 63% of schools are involved in experimental processes of renewal.
Categories, schools and programmes
After finishing the period of compulsory education and passing the lower secondary school examination, students may undertake courses of study lasting for five, four or three years. At the end of these courses they may go on to higher education or enter the job market. All schools that offer post-compulsory instruction are part of upper secondary education and are comprised by the following categories:
1) Classical, Scientific and Primary and Pre-School Teacher Training(commonly designated as the "Classical" category): Classical "Liceo", Scientific "Liceo", Primary Teacher Training Schools and Pre-School Teacher Training Schools;
2) Artistic Education: Artistic "Liceo" and art schools;
3) Technical Education: technical schools;
4) Vocational Education: includes all vocational schools.
The classical category
The Classical "Liceo" offers a course of humanistic study and aims to prepare students for university and other forms of higher education. It consists of 5 years of study divided into two cycles: one two-year period called ginnasio and three-year period called liceo.
The following subjects are taught in the Ginnasio: Italian language and literature, Latin, Greek, foreign language and literature, history, philosophy, natural sciences, chemistry and geography, mathematics and physics, history of art and physical education.
Originally, the aim of Scientific Liceo was to develop and deepen the education of those intending to follow university studies in the faculty of science, medicine and surgery. Since 1969, the year which brought about the liberalization of university admission, this Liceo like the "classical" one, gives access to all types of university training and higher education. It offers a five-year course divided into an initial two year period followed by a final three year period, with no intermediate examinations.
The following subjects are taught: Italian language and literature, Latin language and literature, 1-2 foreign languages and literatures, history, philosophy, geography(in the first and second years only), natural sciences, chemistry and geography, mathematics and physics, drawing, and physical education.
The Primary Teacher Training School(Istituto Magistrale) trains primary school teachers and permits further study at the university's Faculty of Education. The Primary Teacher Training School offer e five-year course and at the end students may gain access to any university degree course.
The following subjects are taught. Italian language and literature, Latin language and literature, 1.2 foreign languages, philosophy, education and teaching practice, psychology, history, civics and geography, natural sciences, chemistry, mathematics and physics, drawing and history of art, choral singing, physical education, and musical instrument(optional).
In 1991, approximately 70% of schools in the classical category took part in innovative projects which have led to changes in their structure and content. Particular mention should be made of the experimental creation of linguistic and educational-social specializations in these types of schools.
The technical category
Technical education is directed towards students aged between 14 and 19 years .
Technical schools aim to prepare students to practise professions or technical or administrative services , in the agricultural , industrial and commercial sectors .
As a result of these different areas of employment , various sectors and specializations can be distinguished.The most common are :
-agricultural sector , specialisations :viticulture and enology ;
-commercial department , specialization : administration , commerce , business , foreign language correspondence , foreign trade , programming ;
-surveying sector;
-tourism sector;
-nautical sector ;specializations : captains , machinists , builders ;
-industrial sector ,very varied specializations related to all branches of technology such as : mechanical , chemical , textile , mining , electronics , physics , electrotechnics , computer science , and telecommunications ;
-< female> sector,originally prepared students for carrying out technical activities traditionally associated with women (such as home economics and traditionally female professions) , but is now being rapidly transformed into training institutes for social service technicians and is no longer for girls only , accepting students of both sexes .Specializations : general specializations , dieticians , community managers , business experts and foreign language correspondents ;
The study programmes for Technical Schools include , in the first two year period , cultural subjects which are common to all the sectors and specializations :Italian language and literature , history and civics , geography , foreign language , mathematics , physics , natural sciences and chemistry , drawing - except for the commercial department -and physical education . The only difference lies in the pratical exercises which are carried out in workshops and businesses pertaining to the sectors to which the school belongs . In the following three-year period , while the teaching of subjects such as Italian Literature , history , civics and physical education continues , the other subjects are all related to a specific sector and specialization , with a significant part of the curriculum reserved for specifically oriented practical exercises .
The weekly timetable varies between 30 and 40 hours according to class and specialization . Lessons normally last for 60 minutes.
The vocational category
Vocational schools accept students from 14 to 17 years of age , offering the possibility to extending studies until the age of 19 for those attending experimental five year courses . Vocational schools were created in the 1950s in order to train qualified entry-level technicians .
These secondary schools are characterised by the presence of a , i.e. , curricula which allow for rapid access to the labour market . From 1969 onwards , two year completion courses have been set up leading to the attainment of a vocational school leaving certificate . The types of schools are divided into the following sectors of production :Agriculture , Industry , and Handicrafts .
Student assessment
For the purpose of assessing students, the school year may be subdivided into two or three periods, depending on the decision of the Teacher's Committee of each school. At the end of each period, group discussion and assessment of each student's work takes place. The assessment is carried out on the basis of the grades received by the student during the examination period also deals with oral and written tests taken during the year. The student's participation in school work in general, his or her initial preparation and subsequent progress, as well as other information obtained from contacts with the family.
The last period of lessons ends with a final assessment of the commitment and progress of each student throughout the school year. This evaluation is expressed with grades in tenths. Students who receive at least 6 for each subject and 8 for behaviour are passed.
Students who receive grades below 6 for some subjects must pass a "repeat" examination in September.
At the end of the upper secondary school courses offered by the classical and artistic school categories, students must take the upper secondary school leaving certificate examination (Mauturità).
Only those who have received a positive assessment of their previous year's results are admitted to this examination. The examination is comprised of two written tests and an oral examination which is held before a Board of Examiners appointed by the Ministry of Education. The oral examination, based on the programmes carried out in the final year, involves all the subjects and includes a discussion of the written tests.
The assessment of the written tests is collegiate, as is the administration of the oral examination; the final assessment gives an inclusive appraisal of the student's level of maturity: this judgement is then translated into a grade expressed in hundredths.
The examination results are certified with a classical, scientific, teacher training or artistic upper secondary school leaving certificate, according to the type of school where it is received, which is necessary for obtaining employment or for registering at institutes of higher education or universities.
The final examinations for the two or three year courses offered by vocational schools are called qualification examinations and are held before Commissions composed of teachers of cultural, technical and practical subjects from the school plus two external experts delegated by business and industry and that have an interest in a particular school.
A qualification certificate is given to students who pass the tests given in these examinations.
This provides admission to the fourth year of a five year experimental course of the same kind, or entry to the labour market certifying a specific vocational training, but is not a qualification which grants admission to higher education.
On completion of the courses offered by Technical Schools, the five-year experimental courses for vocational schools, students who have received a positive assessment in the final examinations are admitted to the vocational or technical school leaving certificate examinations in the specialisation chosen during their studies. The examination procedure is the same as described for other types of upper secondary schools.
The Artistic category
Artistic education is comprised of schools belonging to the upper secondary school system as well as institutes of non-university higher education.
The following are part of the secondary education system:
- art schools;
- artistic Liceo ;
- experimental Music Liceo (connected to Academies of Music);
- the experimental Dance Liceo (connected to the National Academy of Dance);
The following are institutes of higher education:
- the Fine Arts Academies;
- the National Academy of Dramatic Art;
- the National Academy of Dance:
- the Higher Institutes of Artistic Industries;
- the Academies of Music.
There are also lower secondary schools connected to art schools and academies of music.
Art Schools provide suitable cultural education in order to develop the creative qualities of students and to train them for employment and artistic production, while taking into account specific local traditions.
The study programmes of these schools are made up of a total of 34 sections (the arts of ceramics, gold, textiles, coral, alabaster, printing, wood, mosaics, glass, etc.) and last for five years, divided into a three year cycle followed by a two year cycle.
Artistic Liceos aim to give students cultural training which is specifically oriented towards the sector of visual arts and relevant forms of, expression.
Study programmes are comprised of two sections: the first begins the study of painting, sculpture, decoration and scenographic arts; the second begins the study of architecture. At the end, students take a state examination in order to obtain the artistic upper secondary school leaving certificate (Maturità artistica). Students from the first section may thus gain access to the Fine Arts Academy, and those from the second section may register at the uni-versity's Faculty of Architecture.
Students in possession of an artistic liceo upper secondary school certificate and who attend and are successful in a fifth complementary year, may gain access to any university faculty.
The Fine Arts Academies aim to promote the progress of arts and sciences in the arts of image production, arid to teach the aesthetic and scientific culture necessary for practising the relevant professions.
Access to these Academies is granted to students in possession of an upper secondary school leaving certificate.
Painting, sculpture, decoration and scenographic art courses are held at these Academies.
Courses last for four years with compulsory attendance and annual examinations in order to pass on to the following year's course.
Each course concludes with a final examination in order to obtain the relevant academic certificate.
The National Academy of Dramatic Arts offers two four year courses with compulsory attendance (a three year course with a fourth year of specialisation). One course is for traili-ng actors and the other for training directors. Access to the Academy is by means of a "concorso".
The National Academy of Dance offers a normal eight year course for training dancers and a subsequent three year specialisation for training soloists, teachers, choreographers and dance composers Access to the Academy is gained by means of an admission examination.
The Higher Institutes of Artistic Industries, established on an experimental basis, have the specific aim of promoting the progress of design and of teaching the aesthetic and scientific culture necessary for practising the relevant professions.
Access to these Institutes is by means of a concorso in which students who have an upper secondary school leaving certificate may take part.
The Academies of Music are training centres for musicians, teaching the skills necessary for practising professions in the musical arts sector. Academies Of Music offer a total of 34 courses. For courses where admission is granted with the minimum requirement of a primary school leaving certificate, students must fulfill their compulsory education obligations by simultaneously attending a lower secondary school.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Article 33 of the Italian Constitution establishes two fundamental principles regarding the educational policy of our country:
· The State's obligation to offer a state school system that is accessible to all young people and that conforms to their attitudes and aspirations, independently of their economic and social conditions;
· The right of private persons and organisations to set up schools and institutes of education, with no onus to the State.
The creation of primary schools by private individuals requires the authorisation of the Ministry of Education. In order to receive this authorisation the applicant must prove his or her moral and legal ability, possess a secondary education certificate and demonstrate the suitability and practicability of the premises to be used.
Private primary schools may obtain legal recognition, and even financing, where the service they offer replaces or integrates with that offered by the State.
There are two types of recognised private primary schools:
- subsidized schools;
- state authorised private schools.
Subsidized schools. There are opened with the authorisation of the Provveditore agli Studi in places where the State does not consider opportune the setting up the its own schools. These schools are free of charge and open to all.
State authorised private schools. These may be opened only by corporations, associations or organisations based on a special agreement stipulated by the provveditore agli Studi, following the authorisation of the Ministry of Education. In order to obtain this agreement, schools must fulfill the following conditions:
· be open to the general population living in a specific locality;
· be free or charge;
· have programmes, timetables and curricula which correspond to the directives of national law;
· have suitable premises.
Moreover, teachers must hold a certificate qualifying them for primary school teaching, be of high moral character and be paid the same salaries as state teachers.
The qualifications issued by these schools are fully and legally recognised.
Private secondary schools that receive legal recognition may be distinguished as follows:
- Legally recognised schools;
- State authorised private schools.
Legally recognised schools have the following characteristics:
- the certificates issued to pupils are legally recognised;
they are examination centres for obtaining lower secondary school and upper secondary school leaving certificates.
Legal recognition is awarded by means of a Ministerial Decree, after one year of actual operation, under the following conditions:
· the school meet all the hygienic and educational requirements; that the furnishings, scientific and educational materials, laboratory equipment and gymnasium are sufficient and suitable for the type of school;
· the school offer an educational programme which is similar to that of the same type of state school;
· the students possess the correct qualifications for the class they are attending;
· that the teaching staff possesses the correct teaching qualifications.
The working contract of the staff is of a private nature and is not subject to limitations regarding age, amount of payment ( which is freely agreed upon ) and number of teaching hours.
THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Legal status
A teacher at any level of state school is a civil servant, with rights and duties guaranteed by law. Freedom in teaching is the teacher's first and fundamental right. Freedom in meaning means educational autonomy and free cultural expression limited only by the constitutional principles, the school system established by the State, and the moral and civil consciousness of pupils. These rights and duties are defined by law and pertain to the workplace, working hours, economic treatment, career development, holidays and leave. Their regulation is set out in national labour contracts which are periodically renewed.
Initial training
Today
Until now, in our country, initial training has only taken place once the teacher has obtained a permanent working contract and has already been introduced into the educational system. The training period coincides with the first year of teaching and also constitutes a probationary period for obtaining confirmation in the teaching post.
Training activities are carried out in the school and at seminar meetings. The amount of time each teacher must dedicate to these activities is 40 hours per year, grouped at the beginning (September-October) and the end (June) of the school year.
The content of training programs mainly concerns the following aspects of professionalism: methodological and educational responsibilities; psycho-educational knowledge; interpersonal relations and communications skills; juridic and administrative knowledge, with particular attention to the functioning of the school's participatory committees. Other areas, such as guidance, the integration of learning impaired or handicapped students, health education, ect., must also be dealt which.
At the end of the school year, the teacher on probation must fill out a report on the training and teaching activities and experiences carried out discuss this with a special Committee for Teacher Assessment in order to receive confirmation in the teaching post.
Future prospects
From the school year 1993/94 onwards, initial teacher training for pre- and primary school teachers will take place on a university level and will lead to the attainment of a specific academic qualification for teaching in the above mentioned types of schools. This qualification will be necessary in order to take part in concorsi.
For secondary school teachers who already must have a university degree in order to be admitted to competitions, post-graduate specialization courses will be organized. The organization of these courses will involve collaboration between faculties specializing in the various study subjects (for example: mathematics, humanistic, ect.) as far as methodological and educational aspects are concerned.
In order to carry out these courses, a School of Specialization will be set up where scientific and educational activities will be held and examinations administered. This school will issue certificates qualifying students for the teaching profession and will be requested in order to take part in secondary school concorsi.
Beginning the career: the concorso (competition)
In order to become a permanent teacher, with the right to choose a workplace (that is, the school assignment is made, as far as possible, in keeping with the teacher's preferences) and to develop economic and career progression (as established by labour contracts), it is necessary to pass the examinations set forth by a concorso.
Professional duties
The weekly working timetable consists of class time set as follows:
- 25 hours for pre-schools;
- 24 hours for primary schools;
- 18 hours for secondary schools;
In addition to class time, teachers must also assume all the commitments connected with their teaching duties: preparation of lessons, correction of pupils' schoolwork, periodic and final assessments, contacts with families, examinations.
The labour contract does not define a set number of hours to be dedicated to these activities. Only the time to be spent taking part in participatory committees for school management, set at 80 hours a year, is specified.
In-service training
The in-service training of teachers is <>.
In order to avoid the excessive fragmentation of initiatives and to achieve a better use of resources, each year a national in-service training plan is defined and implemented on the national, regional, provincial and local levels, always taking as its starting point the needs expressed by the teaching staff of individual schools.
Mobility
The law allows teaching staff the following types of mobility:
- passage to the career of Principal or Headmaster / mistress and Inspector;
- transfers to other schools or passage from one level of school to another;
- taking on functions, within the school, other than those of teaching.
Access to the career of Principal or Headmaster / mistress and Inspector
A teacher may gain passage to functions of Headmaster / mistress in a primary or secondary school by winning a concorso. The concorso consists of a written test and an oral examination on subjects regarding the administrative and educational duties of the School Head.
To gain admission to the concorso, teachers must hold a university degree and bave been employed on a permanent basis for at least nine years.
Access to the career of lnspector is gained by winning a concorso consisting of written tests and oral examination on educational subjects and the administrative responsibilities of the inspectoral office.
New professional profiles
Beginning in the 1989/90 school year, four new professional profiles have been created in Italian schools: co-ordinator of library services and co-ordinator of educational guidance services in upper secondary schools (including art schools and artistic liceo ); technological consultants and psycho-educational consultant in primary and lower secondary schools. In order to perform one of these roles far a one year period, applicants must belong to the teaching staff. Teachers who have been chosen to carry out these new activities maintain the legal and economic status of teacher and must observe the same working hours.
The Co-ordinator of library services manages the school's library and its library funds and collaborates with teachers in educating pupils in the use of this resource.
The Co-ordinator of educational guidance has the responsibility to stimulate teachers and local social guidance services on behalf of students.
The job of the Technological consultant is to suggest initiatives and to support the work of the teacher in introducing new technologies into the educational process.
The Psycho-educational consultant intervenes in a variety of ways on behalf of students in order to guarantee their constitutional right to pursue their education.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Article 33 of the Italian Constitution recognises the right of universities and academies to act autonomously within the limits set by law.
Both public and private organisations have the right to establish schools and educational institutes .
Therefore, institutes of higher education are divided into state and non-state establishments .
It is also possible to distinguish between universities and non - university institutes . In the former category, for example, in addition to universities , there are the Institutes of Higher Physical Education and special type of Institutes of Higher Education including the "Istituto Orientale" , the "Istituto Superiore Navale" of Naples and the "Scuola normale superiore" of Pisa.
Artistic higher education Institutes belong instead to the non-university higher education category.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
General information
The need to bring the system of university education up-to- date has led in recent years to some important changes in the running and organization of studies.
In order to give greater impetus to the process of reform, the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) was set up in 1989. This Ministry puts forth a development plan for universities every three years.
Administration
The Ministry of Education, Universities and Research has general responsibility for university education. It also distributes available funds among state universities and those private universities that have conformed to the structure of the public sector and that have obtained the authorisation to issue legally recognised qualifications. Private universities, moreover, also receive financial resources from local organisations, associations or foundations. In the context of university autonomy state universities are allowed to accept financing and contributions for research and activities for different users.
Additional income for the university comes from contributions paid by students for services (laboratories and libraries).
The main advisory body for university education is the National University Council (CUN) , in which the representatives of the various categories of university staff and students participate.
On the subject of the right to study , the Minister asks the opinion of the National Council for the right to University Studies, while National Council for Science and Technology is the body through which the scientific contributes to the definition of policies concerning scientific and technological research.
Each University is divided into a certain number of faculties which carry out administrative and scientific-educational activities and issue or more degrees or diplomas, corresponding to the various courses of study they provide.
The departments, established whit the President's Decree of 1980, promote activities of research in a set field of study and have their owns structure whit financial and managerial autonomy.
The Faculty Committee, consisting of the Dean, all the permanent professor and Researcher , carries out programming and co-ordinating functions.
Educational system
Universities issue the following qualifications:
- university diploma;
- degree certificate;
- specialisation certificate;
- research doctorate community
Teaching Staff
Instruction is carried out by the following personnel:
- full professors;
- associate professors;
- contract professors;
- Researchers ;
- Mother tongue lecturers.
Students
In order to gain access to university diploma and degree courses, students must be in possession of an upper secondary school leaving certificate following a five year course of study .
The law regarding the right to university studies gives the State the duty to define guidelines and criteria for the exercise of the right to study. The Regions are responsible for the actual implementation of the right to university studies for students registered at universities in their territories.
LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE
MATHEMATICS OBJECTIVES
In upper secondary school, instruction in mathematics should aim to
promote:
1) the development of intuitive and logical skills;
2) the ability to use heuristic procedures;
3) the maturing of abstract and conceptual thinking;
4) the ability to reason inductively and deductively;
5) the habit of precision in speech;
6) the ability to reason consistently and in a well-argued manner;
7) the awareness of cultural and technological aspects emerging from
new computers devices;
8) an interest in the historical impact of some important events in the
development of mathematical thinking;
9) the nimbleness in calculations;
10) the ability to build, to study and to represent relations and
functions.
MATHEMATICS CONTENTS
1° YEAR
ALGEBRA: Razional numbers. Powers. Algebraic expression. Linear equations. Linear simultaneous equations.
GEOMETRY: Point. Straight line. Plane. Segments and angles. Parallel and perpendicular lines. Triangles. Quadrilaterals.
2° YEAR
ALGEBRA: Surds. Quadratic equations. Arithmetic and geometric progressions.
GEOMETRY: square measures. Pythagoras's theorem. Euclid's theorems. Similar triangles.
3° YEAR
ALGEBRA: Inequalities.
GEOMETRY: Three-dimensional geometry. Relationships between a line and a plane, between two lines and between two planes. Areas and volumes of solids.
COORDINATE GEOMETRY: Cartesian co-ordinates. The length, midpoint and gradient of a line joining two points. The meaning of equation of lines. Straight lines. The equation of a circle. Equations of conical sections: parabola, ellipse and hyperbola. Loci.
4° YEAR
Definition of a logarithm. The laws of logarithms. Equations and inequalities involving exponential and logarithmic functions. The general definition of sine, cosine, tangent and cotangent of any angle. Trigonometric functions and their properties and relationship. Trigonometric identities, equations and inequalities. The sine rule. The cosine rule. Solving triangles.
5° YEAR
Calculus. Limits. Continuous functions and concerning theorems. Derivatives and their use. Differentiation and integration. Definite integration. Combinational calculus. Sequences and number series.
PHISICS OBJECTIVES
To become acquainted with scientific contents related to theory and applied one
To learn contents through a certain methods that they could be related to reality
To be aware of the knowledge of scientific elements.
Ability to face reality analysing and schematisiing it
Ability to share and discuss information given.
PHISICS CONTENTS
3° YEAR
KINEMATICS: Rectilinear uniform motion. Speed. Uniformly accelerated motion. Acceleration. Vector quantities. Uniform circular motion. Simple harmonic motion. Composition of motions. STATICS: Force. Dynamometer. Equilibrium condition of a particle. Rigid body. Composition of forces. Torque. Couple. Equilibrium conditions of a rigid body. Centre of gravity. Stable, unstable and neutral equilibrium. DYNAMICS: Newton's first law of motion. Inertial frames. Newton's second law of motion. Newton's third law of motion. Free fall. Motion on an inclined plane. Centripetal force and circular motion. Elastic force and harmonic motion. Pendulum. Kinetic and static friction. Work. Power. Kinetic and potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy. Momentum and impulse. Momentum theorem. Angular momentum. ASTRONOMY: Kepler's laws. Newton's law of gravitation. Gravitation field. MECHANICS OF FLUIDS: Density. Pressure. Pascal's law. Stevin's law. Archimedes' principle. Atmospheric pressure. State fluid flow. Volume flux. Continuity equation. Bernoulli's equation. Venturi's effect.
4° YEAR
THERMOLOGY: Macroscopic and microscopic quantities. Atom. Molecule. Atomic mass unit. Mole. Avogadro's number. Avogadro's law. Temperature. Thermometer. Thermal expansion. Isothermal process. Boyle's law. Isobaric process. Gay-Lussac's first law. Isochoric process. Gay-Lussac's second law. Ideal gas. Absolute temperature. Ideal gas law. Microscopic interpretation. Heat. Specific heat capacity. Calorimeter. Conduction, convection and radiation. Melting point. Heat of fusion. Evaporation. Boiling. Critical temperature. Thermodinamic system. Equilibrium states.Adiabatic process. Internal energy. Thermodinamic work. First law of thermodinamics. Heat engine. Second law of thermodinamics. Efficiency. Carnot cycle. Entropy. ACOUSTICS: Elastic waves. Wave lenght. Amplitude. Frequency. Longitudinal and transverse waves. Sound. Range of hearing. Pith, intensity, timbre. Echo. Doppler effect. OPTICS: Light source. of reflection. Virtual and real image. Spherical mirror equation. Laws of refraction. Index of refraction. Dispersion of light. Spherical lenses. Thin lens formula. Magnification. Eye. Particle model and wave model of light.
Speed of light. Laws
5° YEAR
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM: Electric charge. Insulators and conductors. Electroscope. Coulomb's law. Permittivity. Electrostatic induction. Electric field. Field lines. Gauss's law. Electric potential difference. Elettric potential. Circuitation of the electrostatic field. Millikan's experiment. Capacitance of a conductor. Capacitors. Electric current. Elettric current intensity. Ideal voltage source. Elettric circuit. Electrical resistance. Ohm's law. Junction rule. Loop rule. Electric energy. Joule heat. Work function. Thermionic emission. Volta effect. Seebeck effect. Electrolysis. Faraday's laws. Battery. Conductivity. Electric discharge. Magnetic field. Oersted's demonstration. Faraday's experiment. Ampère's experiment. Permeability of free space. Magnetic field of a long straight wire, of a circular loop,of a soleniod. Lorentz force. Motion of a point charge in a magnetic field. Gauss's law foe the magnetic field. Ampère's law. Ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials. Electromagnetic induction. Faraday's induction law. Lenz law. Self-inductance and mutual inductance. Induced electric field. Displacement current. Maxwell's equations.
Rodica Barlau-2002