Curriculum, subjects, number of hours

Branches of studies

According to legislation in force (DPR 89/2010) , general upper secondary education lasts five years and is delivered by six types of liceo specializing in the following areas: arts (liceo artistico), classical studies (liceo classico), sciences (liceo scientifico), languages (liceo linguistico), music and dance (liceo musicale e coreutico), human sciences (liceo delle scienze umane).

The liceo artistico offers the following programmes: figurative arts, architecture and the environment, design, audiovisual and multimedia design, graphics, set design. The first two years are the same for all branches. The liceo scientifico offers an option in applied sciences and the liceo delle scienze umane offers an option in social and economic studies.

Competences in compulsory education

The first two years of upper secondary education, whether undertaken in a general or vocational school, are compulsory. Thus, in order to ensure equal education to all students, the Ministry has defined the knowledge and competences that all students are expected to have acquired on completion of compulsory education. Knowledge and competences integrate the current upper secondary curricula, specific for each type of school.

Knowledge and competences are organised into 4 'cultural areas': languages, mathematics, science/technology and history/social studies. Knowledge and competences are also the basis for building learning pathways aimed at acquiring key competences that can help students in adulthood and for lifelong learning. Key competences are: learning to learn, planning, communicating, collaborating and participating, acting autonomously, problem solving, creating connections and relations, acquiring and interpreting information (DM 139/2007).

Curriculum

The five years of general upper secondary education are organised, for teaching purposes only, into two cycles of two years and a final fifth year. The purpose of the first two years is to deepen and develop the knowledge, competences and skills acquired by students in the first cycle of education. Knowledge, competences and skills are further developed in the second two-year period. In the fifth year, students are expected to have fully reached the specific learning objectives foreseen by the relevant curriculum for each branch of studies.

Curricula in general upper secondary education, are defined in specific National Guidelines for licei (Indicazioni nazionali per i licei) issued in 2010 (DM 211/2010).

The National Guidelines set out the specific learning objectives for each type of liceo. For each subject, specific learning objectives describe knowledge and skills that students are expected to acquire as the basis for building their own competences. The National Guidelines also include the student's Educational, cultural and professional profile (Profilo educativo, culturale e professionale dello studente - Pecup) representing what a student should know and should be able to do at the end of each branch of liceo.

In all types of liceo, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is compulsory in the fifth year. In the liceo linguistico, CLIL is compulsory in one language starting from the third year up to the fifth and in a second language starting from the fourth year to the fifth.

In all types of liceo, with the exception of the liceo specializing in applied sciences, (please see the tables below) the teaching of mathematics in the first and second grades also includes ICT.

In all types of liceo, the teaching of human sciences includes biology, chemistry and earth sciences.

In all types of liceo, from school year 2020/2021, the compulsory and cross-curricular subject 'civic education' has replaced the former 'Citizenship and Constitution', that was introduced in 2009 (law 92/2019). The contents of civic education refer to three main areas:

• the Italian Constitution (national and international law, the organisation of the State and of regional and local authorities, etc.);
• sustainable development (protection of the environment and of heritage, health education, respect for animals, etc.);
• digital citizenship (responsible use of technologies, awareness of risks, approaches to the use of technologies).

Civic education has a timetable of at least 33 hours/year and its teaching must involve the other curricular subjects without increasing the overall weekly and annual timetable. The Ministry has provided schools with specific Guidelines (Ministerial Decree 35/2020, Annex A).

Catholic religion is optional for students and the specific learning objectives are defined separately by Presidential Decree in agreement with the Italian Episcopal Conference (Conferenza episcopale italiana - CEI).

Through their ‘three-year educational offer plan’ (Piano triennale dell’offerta formativa - PTOF), institutions can offer additional courses which must be consistent with the curriculum of each liceo. Such courses are optional for students. Once a student has chosen an optional course, attendance is compulsory and performance is assessed as all the compulsory subjects in the study plan.

Optional teachings cannot exceed the 20% of the total teaching timetable foreseen in the first two-year period, the 30% of the total teaching timetable foreseen in the second two-year period and the 20% of the total amount of the fifth grade.

Optional teachings are included in the student’s digital curriculum, which collects also all data on the student’s course of studies, the acquired competences, traineeship experiences and all the extra-curricular activities (culture, arts, sport, voluntary service).

In all types of liceo, students attending the last three grades have the opportunity to spend at least 90 hours in traineeship activities called ‘Paths for transversal skills and guidance’ (Percorsi per le competenze trasversali e per l'orientamento). Such activities aim at deepening students’ knowledge and competences in order to increase their job opportunities and to facilitate their choice of further study (law 107/2015).

Sectors involved in this type of training experience range from enterprises to public and private bodies, to professional associations, to public and private institutions operating in the artistic heritage, cultural and music sector to recognised sports societies.

Students can experience traineeships during their holidays or during the school year in the form of practice enterprise, also abroad.

At upper secondary level, schools organise courses on the protection of health and safety in the workplace for students engaged in traineeships.

The national register for traineeships taken by the Chambers of Commerce lists enterprises and public and private bodies offering posts for this type of training and, for each of them, the number of posts available and the periods when it is possible to carry out the activities. This area of the register is open and free for consultation. Enterprises interested in offering posts for traineeships should enrol in a specific area of the register of enterprises. The school manager chooses the enterprises from the register.

At the end of each school year, the school manager evaluates the enterprises or the other bodies that have signed traineeships agreements with the school.

Students, schools and all subjects involved in these activities are expected to act in coherence with the guidelines for traineeships and with the Charter of rights and duties of students in traineeships, which, for example, establishes the right of students to evaluate the efficiency and coherence of the experience with their studies.

From school year 2019/2020, the participation in traineeship activities is one of the mandatory requirements for the admission to the final examination that students stand for at the end of the fifth year of study (D. Lgs. 62/2017).

Subjects and number of hours

The study plans of each liceo indicate the compulsory annual number of teaching hours for each subject (DPR 89/2010). The weekly timetable is calculated on an average of 33 weeks/year. Lessons last 60 minutes, although schools can decide to have shorter lessons, providing that the compulsory annual amount of teaching time for each subject is met.

Liceo artistico

(1) Replaces natural sciences in the 3rd and 4th years in the following branches of specialisation: architecture and environment, figurative arts, design, set designing.

Liceo classico

Liceo linguistico

(1) Includes 33 hours/year of conversation with a native speaker teacher

Liceo musicale e coreutico

(1) courses are organised in agreement with Conservatories and recognised music institutes (Higher education in art and music, Afam)

Liceo scientifico (1)

(1) This type of liceo may also offer the option of a programme in applied sciences, which differs slightly from the main programme. Differences are shown in Italics.

Liceo delle scienze umane (1)

(1) This type of liceo may also offer the option of a programme in economics and social studies, which differs slightly from the main programme. Differences are shown in Italics.

(2) it includes anthropology, pedagogy (replaced by 'methods of research' in the economics/social studies option), psychology, sociology.

Teaching methods and materials

The Constitution of the Italian Republic establishes the principle of freedom of teaching. The choice and use of teaching methods and materials must be consistent with each school's three-year educational offer plan (PTOF), which, in turn, must be consistent with the general and educational objectives of the different branches and levels of study established at national level.

Schools generally plan their teaching activities at two different levels: at department level for the objectives of each subject and each grade; and at class council level for cross-curricular objectives. In the last decade, special focus has been given to student drop-out prevention, study methods, catch-up activities and increasing the use of information and communication technologies. Schools are usually equipped with a gymnasium, library, science and computer laboratories and laboratories for the specific courses offered by individual schools.

Teachers choose textbooks and teaching tools. Teachers may confirm the textbooks adopted the previous year, or they can adopt new textbooks. In the latter case, textbooks can be in digital or mixed format (mixed format means paper, paper plus digital or digital, all with integrated digital content). In all events, textbooks and teaching tools must be consistent with the curriculum and school’s educational offer plan and should comply with total cost rules. Teachers can submit their choices to the Teachers’ assembly that formally approves the choice. However, the formal approval is not mandatory for teachers and schools.

Textbooks are not free for parents. Every year, the Ministry sets the total maximum cost of textbooks. Teachers should choose the textbooks within this total price limit. Measures introduced to help parents deal with the cost of textbooks also include rental and free loan of textbooks, as well as the partial reimbursement of costs.

Schools can also create their own digital teaching tools for specific subjects, which students will use as textbooks. Teachers can develop such tools in class during teaching hours and in collaboration with other class teachers and students. They will work under the supervision of a teacher who will ensure the scientific and didactic quality of the product. Schools should register their work, get the relevant licence and send their didactic tools to the Ministry within the end of the school year, in order to share and distribute their textbooks free of charge to other State schools.