Back to school, The differences and highlights of an Italian school system

Do you feel like as soon as the sun comes up on August 1st the only conversation you hear the rest of the month is about back to school? Between the stores, commercials and teacher emails, back to school is on everyone’s mind all throughout August!

Eons ago, or so it seems, I attended school in Italy. Because my parents divorced when I was young I went back and forth in schooling and so have a good perspective on the differences between the two from a student stand point. I attended pre-school there, moved to the states for elementary school and one year of junior high then transferred to Italy for the rest of middle school and 2 years of Liceo which is their high school. My last official move was mid high school from Italy to the States and talk about culture shock!

At Liceo, school was from about 830 am to 1pm which would get us home in time to lunch with the family, then of course a little snooze to recharge and off to sports, work and homework until the next day. To make up for the missed afternoon hours, we would attend school Saturdays leaving at noon on those days. The schools were not the best in terms of up to date technology and facilities and MANY times we would use this to “strike” outside the school and go off to eat a snack before the bus came to collect us and bring us back home. (sorry mom!).

When I officially moved to the U.S. and started mid-year at a local high school, I was way in over my head. I remember walking out of the counselor’s office with my schedule in my hand and when I first looked at it all I kept thinking was “wait, we leave at WHAT time? No nap?” But soon that became my new normal and as all transfer students must do, especially when you go to a new country, you adapt and overcome.

How the school system works in Italy.

In Italy, most children start school with Kindergarten. When I was young, pre-school was not something most moms used in the South of Italy. Then, from age 6 to about age 11 they, like us, have primary school (elementary school) continuing on age 11 to 13 you have, again like us, secondary school (middle school) and after middle school the real differences are present.

Italy’s upper secondary schools are divided to provide students with the most in-depth studies for their future learning. Once complete with middle school, students can choose between Liceo ( The academic route with core subjects being taught and most students move on from here to university) Istituto Tecnico (Technical teachings of administration, law, economy etc.) The Istituto professionale (gets students ready for the field at the end of their high school training).

The most important difference in an Italian high school compared to that here in the States is that you have to pretty much have decide what route you want to take as an adult before your high school years. In Italy you choose your high school as one in the States would choose their college. You choose it based on what you think you may want to do as an adult. Personally I chose to go to the Liceo Turistico, knowing that I wanted to work in hospitality and languages. Although I personally did end up later on using this type of education I think that after middle school the age is very young to decide on what to take as far as continuing your education so I would rather the U.S. where every high school is that “core” education allowing you four more years to decide on your route through college.

For more information on the different offerings for High School in Italy read more here.

The best thing about going to school in Italy? Most schools will start mid- September! This is what I, now a mom with children in elementary schools, miss the most! I so wish we can start school after Labor day to just squeeze in that one more week! Oh and let’s not forget that as much as I loved a good chicken patty here in the lunch cafeteria, there was NOTHING better than going home every day for a home cooked meal and a nap!

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