Chapter 21: National Policies and Practices on ICT in Education: Italy

In Italy, the basic principles relating to education, as laid down in the Italian Constitution, include free education; the state’s duty to provide a network of education institutions of every type and level, open to everyone without distinction; and the right of private individuals to set up schools.

The educational system of Italy consists of:

This structure is outlined in Figure 21.1.

Notes:

The period of compulsory schooling is from ages six through 15. Students who decide to go further can complete their upper secondary studies with a public state examination. Access to both university and non-university higher education is reserved for students who have passed the aforementioned examination. Vocational training courses are run by local authorities and can be attended by people between ages 16 and 25 and sometimes even older. The lower secondary school leaving certificate, “Diploma di licenza media,” is needed to gain access to upper secondary school.