Italian education system

Course objectives

Course's general goal is to acquire a reasoned framework of the Italian educational system in its different articulations, with a reference to the cultural and institutional dimensions. It will specifically examine the most recent developments of the normative measures and the cultural debate about them, with a special reference to the law No. 107/2105 and to the DL No. 65 of 13 April 2017, about the integrated system 0-6. As for the latter, will be highlighted the main laws introducing the current order, starting from the institution of the state nursery school (L 18 March 1968, No. 444), with the respective tendencies (DPR 10 September 1969, No. 647) and from the institution of nurseries (L 6 December 1971, No. 1044). In this regard, it will be explained why in the law the nurseries are considered "a state service of public interest" and how it has been gradually overcome the concept of "individual request service" established in the above-mentioned DL No. 65/2017. At the end of the course, the student will be able to  critically retrace the evolution of the Italian educational system, from the standpoints of its regulated structure and cultural significance;  find the elements of specificity and continuity characterising, within the same system, the age 0-6, especially the age 0-3, as explained in the law, from the standpoint of a continuing and recurring education;  place these cognitive elements into the reference historical-political framework, finding and contextualising the interactions between social requests and changes from one part, and education's role from the other;  detect, on the diachronic axis, the emblematic stages that have marked the historical-cultural aspects of the system, with an explicit reference to the evolution of the principle of compulsory education, the laws regulating it, and the more inclusive concept of "educational duty";  find, on the diachronic axis, the more important stages of the gradual acquisition of childhood services (0-3) as an essential part of the universalistic welfare;  retrace the continuum that structurally connects the dimension of "education" with the one of "care," seen as essential aspects of a curriculum 0-3;  consider as issues, on the synchronic axis, the connections among system's structural elements, interinstitutional dynamics, and governance levels, especially considering the ongoing construction of the integrated system 0-6 as it is described in the primary legislation and in the above-mentioned implementation decree. In order to translate the acquired knowledge into cross skills, useful in the work contexts he/she will operate, coherent with the professional profiles in the university curriculum, at the end of the course the student will be able to  select and organise data and pieces of information from various sources, in order to reconstruct the structural factors of complex systems, with a special reference to those concerning "personal services," with the purpose of systematising them in paths of personal re-elaboration;  develop abilities in "reading" the territory, in terms of explicit and/or implicit educational needs, institutional resources, educational subjects and agencies operating in the lines of interconnection among formal, non-formal, and informal education;  find and organically use documentary and juridical sources, when co-planning interventions, such as resources of operability and essential elements of an institutional structure;  individually and/or jointly elaborate ideas of positive actions in response to the demand of education and care resulting from the various contexts, especially about the issues connected to the new subjects bearer of social and cultural requests;  contextualise the structural aspects of a system, seen as the nexus among institutional forms, cultural characters, and organisational-management aspects, with a reference to the various professional profiles and the actual exercise of profession;  use the records, in their invariance, to experiment the specific operational models concerning the roles of educators in the age 0-3;  find work methods and processes of interlocution and planning co-construction, giving value to the active role of the pedagogical coordinators as essential functions of the integrated system 0-6, according to laws;  improve the tools of feasibility analysis and the methods of creative conflict management, also to develop self-reflective aptitudes and meta-cognitive resources, considered essential for whom is about to start a professional activity in the field of personal services, with a special reference to the actions of care and education (age 0-3).

Channel 1
ALESSANDRO SANZO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The Course intends to develop the essential contours of the Italian educational system under both synchronic and diachronic aspects. In particular, the cultural, pedagogical, socio-political and legal dimensions that characterise the system will be highlighted, highlighting their specificities and interconnections. Specific attention will be paid to the most recent developments to relate the topics covered to the professional profiles outlined in the university curriculum and the prospects for inclusion in different work contexts. Also, with this in mind, part of the Course (3 CFU) will be specifically dedicated to the 0-3 age group, focusing on a few key themes: the "curriculum," relationships, the environment, play, and participation in education. By way of example, we indicate the main macro-areas on which the course will focus: the educational system in Italy from national unification to the present day (overview, perspectives and open issues); the integrated 0-6 system in the current institutional framework; the culture of participation; and school-territory interaction/integration. The course is ideally divided into three parts. The first part (eight lectures, 21 hours) will be devoted to the birth and evolution of the educational school system in Italy, with appropriate references to the European context concerning early childhood education services. In the second part (seven lectures, 17 hours), some key issues practical to define educational paths 0-6 years will be explored in depth: the "curriculum," the academic relationship, the space-time environment, and play. The third part (no. 4 lectures, 10 hours) will deal with the culture of participation in educational services 0-6.
Prerequisites
No specific entry prerequisites are required
Books
Examination texts. 1) D. Caroli, Per una storia dell'asilo nido in Europa tra Otto e Novecento, Milano, Fran-coAngeli, 2015, limitatamente alle seguenti parti: Introduzione, pp. 9-18; Parte terza – La diffusione delle crèches in Italia dalla metà dell’Ottocento al fascismo, pp. 199-346. 2) N.S. Barbieri, Asili nido e scuole dell’infanzia nella storia italiana, in F. De Giorgi, A. Gaudio, F. Pruneri (a cura di), Manuale di storia della scuola italiana. Dal Risorgimento al XXI secolo, Brescia, Morcelliana/Scholé, 2019, pp. 69-115. 3) A. Bondioli, D. Savio, Educare l'infanzia. Temi chiave per i servizi 0-6, Carocci, Roma, 2018. 4) M. Amadini, Crescere partecipando. Contesti e prospettive educative per il sistema in-tegrato 0-6, Scholé/Morcelliana, Brescia 2020. Non-attending students should contact the lecturer for the indication of compensatory materials. These materials will be subject to assessment of learning in the examination (written test). Reference bibliography Additional texts and readings will be suggested in relation to the various topics covered in the course of the lectures and the students' interests. The study of the in-depth materials indicated in the course of the lectures is not to be considered compulsory for the purpose of passing the proficiency exam.
Frequency
Attendance: in person. Class attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended. Non-attending students should contact the lecturer for the indication of compensatory materials. These materials will be subject to assessment of learning in the examination (written test).
Exam mode
The examination will be in written mode, will focus on the topics covered in class and found in the study texts and will be differentiated according to attendance. For attending students: the examination will consist of three multiple-choice questions (each worth two points - 2/30) and three questions with closed stimulus and open answer (each of the fly of eight points - 8/30). For non-attending students, the examination test will consist of three multiple-choice questions (each worth two points - 2/30) and four questions with closed stimulus and open answer (each of the fly of six points - 6/30). To pass the exam, it is necessary to obtain a grade of not less than 18/30. The examination test will last three hours. In evaluating the test, the following general indexes of judgment will be taken into account overall: a) for questions with multiple-choice answers, the accuracy of the answer will be taken into account; b) for open-ended questions, on the other hand, the mastery and conceptual organization of the thematic content, the thematic breadth and organicity of the discussion, the specialized lexical correctness, the level of in-depth study and ability to make theoretical connections, the ability to critically rework knowledge, and the ability to infer theoretical knowledge of the operational plan in a professional context will be taken into account. The choice of written test is related to the expected learning outcomes, especially regarding the ability to make theoretical connections (including in interdisciplinary terms) and critically rework knowledge. There are no intermediate tests.
Lesson mode
Consistent with the educational objectives of teaching the Italian Educational System, there will be face-to-face lectures, seminar-type meetings with scholars and experts on the Italian educational system, individual and group study itineraries, and presentation of materials by students. The frontal lecture constitutes the predominant form of course delivery, given the numerical size of the students and the availability of classroom space. However, students will be encouraged to actively intervene according to the forms that the setting allows (e.g. with argumentative contributions on the sheets prepared by the lecturer, with discussion of the materials presented from time to time, as tools for critical reworking, etc.). Attendance: in person. Class attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended. Non-attending students should compulsorily contact the lecturer for an indication of compensatory materials (also for exam purposes).
  • Lesson code10589591
  • Academic year2024/2025
  • CourseEducation and Training Science
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDM-PED/01
  • CFU6
  • Subject areaDiscipline pedagogiche e metodologico-didattiche