Condiciones operativas de la zona de tratamiento térmico

5.5.1. Lower secondary education

The scuola secondaria di primo grado lasts 3 years and, as already mentioned [5.], is part of the primo ciclo di istruzione together with primary school. There are no different types of

scuole secondarie di primo grado, as it is for scuole dell’infanzia and primary schools. State and

non state Scuole secondarie di primo grado are present all over the national territory.

5.5.2. General upper secondary education

Upper secondary education includes the following schools:

• liceo classico: It includes five years of study and is structured in two cycles: a two-year lower cycle ginnasio (classes IV and V, because before the establishment of the scuola

media, it was preceded by a three-year lower cycle) and a three-year upper cycle (classes

• liceo scientifico: It comprises a five-year course, focusing on scientific training in the last three years of study;

• liceo artistico: Courses last four years and are structured in two sections: one for figurative arts and stage design, the other for architecture; students can attend a fifth year called corso

integrativo in order to enrol in the University. It’s worth it to note that almost all licei artis- tici offer now a five-year course of study on an experimental basis which allows the enrol-

ment in the university without having to attend the one-year corso integrativo.

Law 53/2003 modifies also the second cycle of education that will be composed of the sis-

tema dei licei and thesistema dell’ istruzione e della formazione professionale, according to

guidelines becoming operative from the 1st_{of September 2007.}

The sistema dei licei includes eight types of licei: artistic, classical, economic, linguistic, music and dance, scientific, technological, human sciences. In some cases, one only type of liceo would not satisfy the various educational needs of the students; for this reason, the artistic, economic and technological licei can offer more branches of study.

All licei have a five-year duration subdivided into two two-year teaching cycles followed by a fifth and final year destined to deepen knowledge and skills typical of the study course. The upper secondary leaving certificate diploma di superamento dell’esame di stato is the title required to access university and Alta formazione Artistica e Musicale (AFAM).

5.5.3. Vocational upper secondary education

Schools offering vocational secondary education are the following:

• istituti tecnici. Their duration is subdivided into a common basic two-year cycle and a three-year cycle with more branches of study and specialisations [5.11.3.];

• istituti professionali. Their duration is subdivided into a three-year cycle, leading to obtain a diploma di qualifica, and, according to Law of 27 October 1969, no. 754, a post-qual- ification two-year cycle (4th_{and 5}th_{years) that grants admission to the university;}

• istituti d’arte: they foresee courses lasting for three years and structured in sections depending on the art specialisation’s: ornamental painting, ornamental sculpture, graph- ics, wood, ceramic and metal applied arts, etc. Applied art courses include practice in the laboratory. Law 27 October 1969, no. 754 has instituted in istituti d’arte further courses lasting two years, granting admission to University. Courses lasting three years end with the diploma di qualifica.

Law no. 53 of 28 March 2003 modifies also the education and training system which include paths defined through implementation decrees. These paths will permit to obtain titles and vocational qualifications at different levels; if they have a four-year duration, it will be pos- sible to attend a fifth year to be granted admission to the university or AFAM [6.5.1.]. Students have to make their choice at the end of scuola secondaria di primo grado; a transi- tion is however possible between the two systems.

Furthermore, law allows 15 to 18 year-old students to attend 2nd_{level courses through alter-}

nation of study and work periods, under the responsibility of schools or training institutions, 80

on the basis of agreements with enterprises or associations of professional classes, public or private bodies, or to attend integrated courses organised at vocational education and train- ing institutes offering study programmes planned by the two systems together. All these pro- visions will come into effect on the 1st_{of September 2007.}

5.5.4. Post-secondary non-tertiary education

a) Vocational training courses

They are organised and managed directly by the Regions or, more often, by provincial or municipal administration through delegation from the Regions. The courses can be destined to young people who have obtained the certificate of upper secondary leaving examination diploma di superamento dell’esame di stato and are no longer subject to compulsory train- ing, who want to obtain a second level qualification.

b) Istruzione e formazione tecnica superiore (IFTS)

Professional figures are outlined according to ISTAT and ATECO classifications, respective- ly on technical professions and economic activity sectors. The outlined figures correspond to different professional areas, which offer, on their turn, further professional developments. Starting from 2002/2003, 37 professional figures have been defined (see [5.11.4.]) at nation- al level, and, starting from 2004, according to the above mentioned agreement [5.3.4.], nine more figures have been outlined with regard to insurance and financial services. For each professional figure, its reference economic sector, its features and fundamental professional activities at national level have been defined. These figures are outlined by the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano, on the basis of a previous experimenta- tion, and according to the outcomes of the research on the formative requirements as well as the work carried out by the sectors committees instituted by the National Committee (Agriculture, Environment, Building, Industry and Handicraft, Social services, Insurance services, Transports, Tourism, ICT) on purpose. The broad-area professional figures can be articulated into more regional professional profiles in order to guarantee correspondence between the courses and the actual requirements of the labour market of the Regions. The Regions and the autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano can promote pilot projects referred to professional figures not foreseen at national level which correspond to document- ed needs of the territorial labour markets. IFTS courses are planned and carried by minimum four educational subjects: school, vocational training, university, enterprise or another pub- lic or private subject, formally associated in the form of a consortium. The agreement of 25 November 2004 foresees the institution of “Formative Centres for upper technical education and training” (see [5.3.4.]).

5.6. Geographical accessibility

The same considerations on scuola dell’infanzia [3.5.] and primary education [4.5.] count also for this section.

In the years of demographic expansion there was an increase in the number of schools, whereas with the reversal in trend the ever pressing need has arisen to proceed to a rational- isation in the number of school, both for reasons of economy and for greater efficiency in teaching, by eliminating small schools.

Art. 21 of law 15 March 1997, no. 59 then has linked the granting of school autonomy to the reaching of certain optimum conditions and to this purpose reorganisation plans for the school network, that should be completed within school year 2000-2001 (see [2.6.4.]), almost completed by now.

5.7. Admission requirements and choice of school

Families are free to choose the kind of school they want to send their children to. The only limitations may be due to the lack of available buildings or to the lack of school staff assigned to each school by the School administration. Each school will establish its own criteria to accept the enrolment applications if the requests for enrolment are higher than the reception capacity of the school premises or than school staff.

Upper secondary schools, divided into various categories, are to be found in major cities and in average communes, even if not all kinds of upper secondary schools are available in all cities.

5.7.1. Lower secondary education

In accordance with Delegated Decree no. 59 of 19 February 2004, stating that both primary school and scuola secondaria di primo grado belong to the primo ciclo di istruzione that realise the first section of the diritto/dovere to education and training, transitory rules of article 19 abolished the esame di licenza elementare; as a consequence, pupils pass from primary school to scuola secondaria di primo grado just upon final assessment (see [4.12.]). Pupils coming from private schools can be admitted to the 2nd_{or 3}rd_{grades upon esame di idoneità reserved}

to pupils who have reached respectively the age of 13 and 14 within 30 April, and who have obtained the admission certification to the first grade of scuola secondaria di primo grado.

5.7.2. General upper secondary education

Any student who has obtained the diploma di esame di Stato conclusivo del primo ciclo di istru-

zione (see [5.17.1.]).

5.7.3. Vocational upper secondary education

Students who have obtained the diploma di esame di Stato conclusivo del primo ciclo di

istruzione (see [5.17.1.]) can enrol in this type of education institutes.

5.7.4. Post-secondary non-tertiary education

a) Vocational training course

In particular, the courses of the second level are reserved for those who hold a diploma di superamento dell’esame di stato. There are various types of selection to determine admission, using the objective evidence provided by entrance tests of students’ prior knowledge of the subject or tests of capacity.

b) Istruzione e formazione tecnica superiore (IFTS)

Entrance is allowed to young people and working adults who have attained the certificate of

upper secondary school leaving examination or admission to the fifth year of upper second- ary school.

It is also allowed to those who have not obtained the diploma di istruzione secondaria supe- riore but have acquired the necessary skills during their previous educational or training paths and work experiences carried out after completion of compulsory education.

Reference to level 3 of literacy and mathematics skills of IALS-SIALS scale, according to arti- cle 5 of Interministerial Decree no. 426/2000, is required to verify admittance conditions of students without the certificate of upper secondary school leaving examination to Istruzione e Formazione Tecnica Superiore – IFTS courses. Students are allowed to present certificates and proofs of study and experiences carried out as their fulfilment of admittance conditions are being verified.