Lorna at Vicenza

Honestly - I don't know. I don't know if the daughter can pass citizenship onto any kids she might have here if she has them to another non-Italian.

There goes the alarm. Time to think about lunch for the two starving hungry kiddies that will be home soon.

37100

Don't you just love middle school boys. They never change. They all think they are smart and funny. Always pitied middle school teachers.

No she doesn't, but if here father applies (or mother) she can get her's sooner and with a little less paper work. A Ghanese friend told me this. She was most annoyed at here mother who had lived here 20yrs and never bother to apply because she wanted to go home - which she did. That left our young friend here on here own trying to prove that she's been here legally for 10 continuous years.

37100

Oh and I forget. In Vr they have ignored the limit on non eu kids in a class. For one, they can't ignore parents wishes and also, who is going to pay to bus the kids to another school?

dina1965

I've just read the article. I'm sorry that they've taken latin out of the licei scientifici. I can't understand why Gelmini would think it useless: my son started understanding grammar and sentence construction last year thanks to his latin teacher. I also found (I did A level latin) that it really helped thought processes, memory and basic understanding of how languages develop.

indiebird

I presume if you go to a Liceo Classico then then Latin is still on the menu. One of the kids I helped with his English over the summer was at a Classico and he had to do Latin and Greek and English as well as the core subjects. It sounded very full-on and it seems to me that a lot of kid have trouble making the grade but I was thinking that that would have been the route I would have taken if I were schooled here... sounds very interesting to me. They start latin in the terza media here if they are strong in everything else.

TestaRossa

Really?! I thought they started Latin really early?? That's always the impression friends here give me, but maybe terza media is early to them....Alex started at 8, so secondo at elementare. I think he's hoping this is his last year of it though!! It's really helped him with the Italian he does know and his French and Spanish too. They do a lot of Cicero, Horace etc - is it the same here? Plus the grammar etc of course!

37100

My eldest went to a Liceo Classico and was in his element. It is one hard slog from start to finish. It is only for people who like studying and reading books by the shelf full. Years and years ago when hubby was at middle scool, you could only go if you had been to a Scuola Media, which is why classico has 4th, 5th year and then 1st 2nd and 3rd. You only really went to a scuola media if you clever , but more importantly, is your parents could afford it. Everyone else went to a Avviamento al lavoro middle school. Also, for years, you had to have been to a classico to become a lawyer.

indiebird

I find the system so interesting here. I know it can feel a bit 'old' but that would really have suited me down to the ground personally. I think we got a bit mixed up in the UK in the 1980's and 1990s with school trying to be something for everyone. I have got a humanities GCSE for goodness sake whereas maybe it would have been better for me to have had History, Geography and/ or RE for example... I would have opted out of Geog. and gone in more for history and RE. I did sociology and psychology A levels and I would have liked a broader range of things really than narrowing it down... there was also a big dose of 'Oh you can't do all that.' when I was at school whereas if someone had said 'yeah that is possible' I probably would have been happier than having to narrow things down. I kinda have wide-ranging interests and find it hard not to indulge them all....

dina1965

Ricki started latin in terza media but it was a basic introduction course outside normal school hours. I basically took latin A'level because I had what I thought was a fantastic teacher - looking back I can't fathom why I didn't think she was just a raving lunatic. she'd often walk into the classroom covered in a white sheet (ie toga) speaking latin. there were only six of us in her class and we almost worshipped her !

dina1965

first rant of the year ... my son asked for 20 euro this morning to buy the stuff the new artistica teacher wants all the kids to have: plastic triangles (can't remember what they're called), a compass, drawing paper, pencils and a rubber etc. I went into his room and pointed out that he already had all the things on the list. He then pointed out that they were the wrong brand. the new teacher had listed the specific brand of each item and had warned them not to turn up at her lesson without everything.

TestaRossa

I can remember having to do this in fashion design. They are set squares BTW. I still have it all, but at school not sure why brands would matter. It's her way of making her mark I think!

giodafa

It's like the books that change every year. My daughters old school books are no good to my younger son. I mean maths is maths what could have changed in 3 years..There is obviously something behind the choice of the books made by each teacher. I had to fork out 560 euros this month in school books !!!Every time September comes around I wish i had stayed in the UK.

Patty

Sorry but that is just really unacceptable - what the hell does it matter what BRAND they are - someone needs to tell this silly woman that as long as they the right equipment it doesnt matter what bladdy brand it is She is obviously on a backhander from the company making the stuff !!!

TestaRossa

I thought it interesting that the books are different for the two classes in Antonia's year!

Lorna at Vicenza

It looks like I wasn't the only one wide awake in the middle of the night.

I agree about the brand thing being totally ridiculous. There is going to be no difference between a circle drawn with compass brand A and compass brand B.