HADENOUGHPIZZA

There are a lot of private nurseries and kindergartens because the state does noT offer enough places for all children to automatically get a place . The number of private schools at junior / middle / senior level is far lower and choice limited especially outside Rome and other large cities . Its not like in the UK where private education usually means better academic standards .

Garbatellamike

Blimey, not easy to get a teaching job in Italy then!

Over 320,000 aspiring teachers lined up on Monday to compete in preliminary selections for 11,542 positions in schools around Italy. The candidates had 50 minutes to complete 50 questions on a computerized exam.

MarkRD

Yup that's just about the shape of things....and I can't begin to tell you what it takes to actually get as far as that 'computerized exam' .. it's a jungle out there.

sirlouston

Italian teachers are not the best, they pile on homework and not just a bit but even for primary school they give hours and hours of work. Also they are very old fashioned. Was not very impressed with Italian schools to be honest!

HADENOUGHPIZZA

so how come over 60 pct were eliminated in the first round ? either the questions were too difficult or lots of candidates underestimated the test ? Do they actually ever have to show they can teach ...

MarkRD

Yes, there's also an abilitazione year . .a teacher training of sorts ..
http://www.unibo.it/Portale/Offerta+...ivi-attivi.htm

..but it's all quite new so nobody really knows what's going on. Plus it'll all change again when B*rlusconi gets back in ..

HADENOUGHPIZZA

I insist on you writing IF Berlusconi gets back in ....

MarkRD

LOL ... ok then IF Berlusconi (o chi per lui..) gets back in ..

Lorna at Vicenza

Alex's primary school has gone totally "settimana corta" and no more Saturdays.

Now the school has sent home a "yes or no" form to the settimana corta at middle school.

There is a big difference however. Primary school has an afternoon "rientro" with lunch until 3.30pm.

The teachers at middle school don't want any kind of afternoon teaching so the proposed hours are: from 7.50am each day until 13.46 each day.

I find this to be a bit ridiculous and I also have a cynical feeling that these proposed hours are there just to put parents off. We all know the school board doesn't like the "no Saturday week".

I know there are kids in many high schools that don't get out until 13.00 or 13.30 but I think these hours for middle school are a piss take and designed to put parents off.

I also think it's ridiculous to expect kids to work for 6 hours with a 10 minute break. When I was in offices and factories I'm pretty sure that the law was more generous with break times.

I'd also like to find a really good copy of human rights laws and see what it says about kids having time breaks and how often.

jonwel

The idea of cramming a day's teaching into the morning is to allow teachers to do another job in the afternoon. You're not going to get much sense out of a teacher who can't wait to get away at the end of the last lesson to earn money elsewhere!
Actually I have to be fair: Years ago I worked in a tourism-oriented scuola superiore where the language teaching was good. The teachers were mainly fluent, didn't make the students waste their time plodding through 19th century English literature and as a result the students were enthusiastic too and learnt something.

MarkRD

..and what's wrong with 19th Century English Literature!??!! ...

Just kidding . .I know what you mean ..

Yes Lorna those times are totally unacceptable . .it's nice to have the Saturday off but they'll just be massacred the rest of the time, not to mention when they'll start having tests and such.

Sometimes it's nice to have the kids at school on a Saturday morning!

pugliese

call an "extraordinary" parent's meeting and propose the times you want. A yes or no form from their side is not very democratic - lump it or leave it is not the right attitude when children's interest are at heart.

pugliese

What's the procedure/bureaucracy like to enroll at an Italian university?. Perhaps Mark could share his experience with us. I am thinking of applying (modern languages). What do I need, how long does it take, what are the costs involved?

MarkRD

Oh yes I'm pretty much up on this ..

It all depends on a lot of things:
1. do you already have a degree in languages or other subject from the UK?
2. does your university department have the numero chiuso system, ie. an entrance test due to limited numbers?
3. do you have a low-ish (family) income?

..not that it matters but fees are usually calculated on the basis of your family ISEE. We got a slight reduction on my daughter's fees, as a "public" university, whereas mine is "private" so there's none of that (as far as I know).

If you already have a language degree or other qualification and apply for a triennale (equivalent of BA) then you might get a carriera abbreviata which means you might not have to do certain exams on your course. Getting your UK degree and other qualifications is - you've guessed it - a long and complicated process, but it may be worth it. I managed to get moreorless straight on the the magistrale (2 years MA) on the strength of my BA although, ironically, I have to pass the English exams from the triennale first.

"Normal" bureaucracy is otherwise fairly straightfoward if you're an EC citizen, but then again it will depend on which uni you're applying to, and what qualifications you already have .. some are btter than others. A lot is done on line these days pretty much everywhere which makes it all a little bit easier.

Any more questions? Happy to help .. !

Patty

I was happily optimistic that my days of moaning about schools were almost over, however........my son came home from school today after just an hour saying that today (and also yesterday) the school has no heating - apparantely the heating system is broken and the school dont have any money and say that the Region should sort it ??? This sounds like a problem that isn't going to be resolved quickly and in the meantime our kids are losing valuable school time.
(and to think - I thought the biggest problem this week was that the school bar was closed cos a squirrel got in during the 5 day break and ate all the goodies)