The Italian school system has both private and state schools. State schools are free but students must buy their own books and materials. Children start primary school at age 6 and have one teacher for each subject. At age 10 they go to middle school for 3 years, and at age 14 they go to high school for 5 years where they can choose different types of schools based on subjects. The school year runs from September to June with summer, Christmas, and Easter breaks.

1. The Italian school system
We’re going to talk about the Italian school system
Written by: Rossi Marcello,Alice De Rosa,Lorenzo Carnevali,Desirè Pirro.

2. Types of schoolsThere are two main types of schools in Italy: private
schools and state schools.
Parents pay for private schools and they are usually
very expensive.
State schools are free but students must buy school
material and all text books.
In Italian state schools students do not have to buy
the uniforms because we do not wear them.
If you get bad results you fail and you may have to
repeat that year and change classmates.

3. When do the children start school?
Children start primary school in September after their 6th birthday. Primary schools
are sometimes big but you can find also little ones.
Students stay together in the same classroom all the day and they have 1 teacher for
Religious Education, 1 teacher for English, 1 teacher for Science and Maths, 1
teacher for Italian language, History and Geography, 1 for Art, 1 for Music and 1
teacher for PE.
The students have a lot of tests during the year and even more in May before leaving
school.
When they are 10 they leave primary school and they go to middle school.

5. When do the students go to secondary school?
When the students are 11 they go to middle school for 3 years. Middle schools
usually have between 450 and 700 students.
Students have different teachers for each subject, but they stay together in the same
class all day.
They study Italian,English,Maths,Geography,History,Science,PE,Art,Religious
Education, Music and modern foreing languages, they can usually choose between
German, French and Spanish.
English language is compulsory.
Students take a state exam on the III year of middle school and if they pass it they
can go to high school.

7. When do the students go to high school?
When the students are 14 they go to high school for 5 years, and they have to choice which
school to go, because the contents can be very different
In high school students have a different teacher for each subject but they stay together in the
same classroom all the day.
When you are 16 you can leave the school and start working and study till age 18.
In the Italian high schools learners continue to study the same subjects that they have already
studied at secondary school and other subjects that are specific for each school
(Latin,Chemistry, ancient Greek, Economics, Law…).
When the students are 19 they take the “maturità” examination, a very important state exam,
then they can go to work or they can go to university.

9. School holidayThe school year usually starts on 15th September and
finishes the first week of June.
The students have 3 months holiday in summer, 2
weeks at Christmas,1 week at Easter and some local
holidays.
Italian students go to school from Monday to Saturday.
Lessons start at 8.00 in the morning and finish at 1.00
pm.
Students usually have lunch at home. Yet, there are
some after school activities like music, cooking, chess,