The Italian school system

Nursery is not compulsory but is important for adjustment and language, and is offered in state, municipal and private schools.

• Primary is five years with a main teacher and specialist teachers, and ends without a national exam.
• Lower secondary is three years and ends with a final exam (esame di stato) giving the certificate.
• Then the family chooses the upper secondary: the Liceo, theoretical (classical, scientific, linguistic, arts, music and human sciences) which prepares for university, the Istituto tecnico, technical with vocational subjects, the Istituto professionale, vocational leading to the job market, and IeFP regional vocational training.
• Upper secondary ends with the maturità exam and a diploma that permits entering university.
• And hours are split between mornings and sometimes afternoons (tempo pieno), and the week is Monday to Friday or Saturday according to the school.

Enrolment in the first year of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary is done online on the Iscrizioni Online platform in the period from late December or January to late January or February of the preceding year, using SPID, CIE or eIDAS.

• You need the codice fiscale of the child and the parents, the residence certificate, vaccination certificates (a binding requirement), and the latest school certificates if available.
• Foreign children can be admitted at any time in the school year even without complete documents, and the headteacher assigns them by age with a level assessment.
• Contact the office of the secretary (segreteria) and ask for help with enrolment.
• And if SPID is unavailable the school or an association helps you.
• And choose schools near your home since priority goes to proximity.

There is no unified preparatory section, but many schools offer language support in Italiano L2 (Italian as a second language) in additional free classes with teachers and cultural mediators (mediatori culturali), and each school has a reception protocol.

• The child is often placed in the class suited to his age, and his level is assessed, and assessment may be eased for him in the first year.
• Some comuni and associations organise a doposcuola, that is study support after school free or at a token cost, and there are libraries and youth centres.
• Encourage your child to read and speak with peers, and support the mother tongue at home since it helps him learn Italian.
• And check that the school provides documents in other languages or interpreters at parents' meetings.

Parents receive a pagella, that is a report card, two or three times a year (at the end of the terms), and in primary grades rely on descriptive levels, and in lower and upper secondary on grades from 1 to 10 (pass is 6).

• Parents hold meetings with teachers (colloqui) several times a year, and schools use a registro elettronico (electronic register) for communication, homework, absences and grades, so ask for the login details.
• Absences must be justified by the parent's signature, and after five days by a medical certificate in some cases.
• And in upper secondary a student is not admitted if he misses more than a quarter of the classes.
• And there are rappresentanti dei genitori (parent representatives) in the classes, so take part if possible since that supports your relationship with the school.
• And to object to decisions consult the headteacher.

Families in primary get books free from the comune, and in lower and upper secondary buy or borrow them and there is buono libri or borsa di studio support according to income and ISEE.

• Families pay the school lunch fee (mensa) which may be reduced according to ISEE, and school transport fees.
• Some regions help with grants for needy students.
• And a child without legal residence has the same right to education.
• And if you meet refusal or discrimination contact the regional education office (USR), or an association such as ASGI.
• For special needs (BES, DSA and disabilities) there are individual plans (PEI and PDP) and support teachers (insegnante di sostegno), so speak to the school early.
• And private, international and Islamic schools are available for fees.

From what age is school compulsory?