Italy - Country Background Information
- Describing the forms of education in the country
- Identifying an ‘inclusive setting’ in the country
- What an ‘official decision of SEN’ means in the country
- What ‘out-of-education’ means in the country
The EASIE data collection covers all recognised forms of education at ISCED levels 02, 1, 2 and 3.
This means any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector: municipality, local or regional educational provider from the public or private sector, working with/for ministries responsible for education and areas such as health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.
Compulsory education starts at six years of age and lasts for 10 years. It covers primary and lower secondary education and the first two years of the second cycle of education. The two compulsory years of the second cycle can be attended either at general and vocational upper-secondary schools or within the regional vocational education and training system.
Learners can complete compulsory education in state schools, in private schools equal in status to state schools (scuole paritarie) and home schooling (istruzione parentale).
In addition, everyone has a right and a duty (diritto/dovere) to receive education and training for at least 12 years within the education system or until they have obtained a three-year vocational qualification by the age of 18.
What are the typical age ranges for the ISCED levels?
| ISCED LEVEL 02 | ISCED LEVEL 1 | ISCED LEVEL 2 | ISCED LEVEL 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 (from age 3 to the start of primary education) | 6-10 | 11-13 | 14-18/19 (All study courses last 5 years, but there are some experimental study courses that last 4 years) |
Private sector education is covered by the data provided from Italy.
The Italian education system is mainly a public state system. However, private subjects and public bodies can establish independent education institutions: scuole paritarie (private schools equal in status to state schools), administered by private corporate bodies or individuals but recognised by the state. They are entitled to award legally valid qualifications.
Independent schools not entitled to award legally valid qualifications are called scuole non paritarie. They are included in a specific list kept by each Regional School Office.
The state directly finances state schools. Scuole paritarie receive state contributions according to criteria established annually by the Ministry.
The data provided also covers the regional vocational training system (Istruzione e Formazione Professionale - IeFP).
Specifically, the IeFP offers three- and four-year courses organised by accredited training agencies or by upper-secondary schools.
Home schooling (istruzione parentale) during compulsory education is possible to respond to families’ requests. Parents have to ask for authorisation from school leaders.
The data covers recognised forms of home schooling.
Specifically, home schooling (istruzione parentale) during compulsory education is possible only in exceptional circumstances: parents are required to certify that they hold the technical skills and have the economic capacity to carry out this kind of education. Learners attending home schooling must sit for specific exams to prove the acquisition of the expected competences.
In the EASIE data collection, an inclusive setting is operationally defined as:
A recognised form of education where the child/learner follows education in mainstream classes alongside their peers for the largest part – 80% or more – of the school week.
The 80% time placement benchmark clearly indicates that a child/learner is educated in a mainstream class for the majority of their school week. At the same time, it acknowledges possibilities for small group or one-to-one withdrawal for limited periods of time (i.e. 20% or one day a week).
Very few participating countries can provide exact data on children/learners spending 80% of their time in a mainstream group/class. However, all countries can apply one of three agreed proxies that provide an approximation to this benchmark:
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 80% or more
- Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 50% or more.
In the EASIE data collection, the agreed operational definition is:
An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.
Countries may have different types of official decision, but for all official decisions:
- There has been some form of educational assessment procedure involving different people. This procedure may involve the child/learner, parents, school-based team members, as well as professionals from multi-disciplinary teams from outside the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school.
- There is some form of legal document (plan/programme, etc.) that describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive, which is used as the basis for decision-making.
- There is some form of regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support.
In Italy there are three types of SEN:
- Disability: Law no. 104 of 5 February 1992 (‘Framework law for assistance, social integration and the rights of disabled people’) is the main regulatory reference, establishing the right of disabled people to fully participate in social and school life. When a learner with disabilities accesses the education system, at whatever level, parents submit to the school a specific certification of the learner’s disability, issued by the multi-disciplinary teams, to receive specific support measures. This documentation specifies the type of disability and the right to receive specific support and is released by the national health system.
- Specific developmental disorders (including specific learning disorders: disturbi specifici di apprendimento – DSA): Law no. 170 of 8 October 2010 on the Discipline of Specific Learning Difficulties in Schooling recognises the right of learners with specific learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography and dyscalculia) to benefit from compensatory and dispensatory measures. When a learner with specific learning disorders accesses the education system, at whatever level, parents submit to the school a specific certification of the learner’s specific learning disorders, issued by the multi-disciplinary teams. This documentation is released by the national health system.
- Other SEN (socio-economic, linguistic and cultural disadvantage): in these circumstances, measures focus on personalisation of teaching and didactic flexibility, based on the school’s decision.
In Italy there are three types of assessment procedures:
- disability: the assessment procedure involves professionals from multi-disciplinary teams;
- specific learning disorders (disturbi specifici di apprendimento – DSA): the assessment procedure involves professionals from multi-disciplinary teams;
- other SEN (socio-economic, linguistic and cultural disadvantage): the assessment procedure involves only the school’s decision.
In Italy legal documents that describe the support are:
- disability: the individualised educational plan (Piano Educativo Individualizzato – PEI) describes the interventions planned for learners;
- specific learning disorders (disturbi specifici di apprendimento – DSA): the personalised teaching plan (Piano Didattico Personalizzato – PDP) describes the interventions planned for learners;
- other SEN (socio-economic, linguistic and cultural disadvantage): the personalised teaching plan (Piano Didattico Personalizzato – PDP) describes the interventions planned for learners.
Regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support are provided by specific working groups for inclusion, made up of teachers, the school leader, parents and multi-disciplinary teams.
Within the EASIE data collection, specific questions examine children/learners who are out of education. This means children/learners who should, by law, be in some form of recognised education, but who are out of any form of recognised education. A recognised form of education is any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector.
‘Out of education’ typically refers to learners who leave school at any point before graduation without transferring to another educational institution.
In Italy, ‘out of education’ can refer to:
- in general, drop-out (abbandono scolastico), which refers to discontinuing an on-going course (e.g. dropping out in the middle of the school term);
- Early Leaving of Education and Training (ELET) refers to young people aged 18–24 who leave education or training before achieving at least an upper-secondary level qualification;
- young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) is a broader category than ELET, encompassing young people aged 15–29 who are not in education, employment or training.
The data provided shows that in Italy 100% of learners with special educational needs are in mainstream classes.