The education and schooling
system in Italy is free for all children, regardless of
their nationality. The Italian law states that school is
compulsory for all children up to the age
of 16.
The Italian Education system is divided into five stages:
- Infant School or Nursery School (scuola per
l'infanzia) not compulsory (for children 3 to 5 years
old)
- Primary School (scuola primaria/elementare)
compulsory (for children from 6 to 10 years old)
- First Level Secondary School or Lower Secondary School
(scuola media) compulsory (for children from 11 to 14
years old)
- High School or Upper Secondary School (scuola
superiore) compulsory up to 16 (for pupils from the age 14
onwards)
- University (università ) not compulsory.
In general, in Italy school year runs from mid-September to
mid-June but there can be some variations from region to
region.
Parents may freely choose the school to be attended if there are
vacant places. Registration to the compulsory
classes can be done at any moment of the academic year of the
arrival of juniors in Italy and it is done at the secretary's
office of the selected school. Parents have to submit the same
documents for their kids as for the Italian
students (for the Primary School: birth certification and
certificate of vaccinations), plus the Permit of Stay, if coming
from a third country, and other school documents (translated in
Italian language) they may have (such as: schools report card
etc.)
Choice of Schools in Udine
In addition to its many public
schools, Udine also hosts two schools where English is the
teaching language (please note that knowledge of English is not a
prerequisite for enrolment as ESOL support is available to
non-speakers):
- The
Mills a bilingual English-Italian school which is
officially recognised by the Italian government and caters for the
needs of children aged 2-14 years.
- The Udine
International School also caters for children from
2-13/14 and is affiliated with the International School of Trieste
for the 5 successive High School years. Diplomas issued are legally
recognised in Italy.
CHILDCARE OPTIONS:
FOR 3M TO 3 YEARS OLDS
When choosing childcare you'll need to consider work
hours, budgets, and whether you want care in your own home or with
other children. Find out about all the different types of childcare
available for 3m to 3 year olds.
- Daycare centres (nido
d'infanzia)
There are many public and private
daily childcare centres in Udine. These centres aim to offer
families the possibility of managing their life-work balance -
giving young children the opportunity to grow and develop in a
caring, stimulating and social environment.
Opening times. Most daycare centres are open from
7.30 am to 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Parents can choose half-day
(7.30-9am entry - 1.30 pm exit), or the whole day. In some cases
the centres close later - it is best to check with each individual
centre before selecting one if you need extended opening
hours.
Costs. There is a monthly charge for daycare
centres. Costs vary according to the number of hours the child uses
the service, and according to family income (in the State centres).
The best thing to do is contact your childcare centre directly. To
find out if you are eligible for a reduction in the monthly fee
contact the local council
office in charge of these services.
- Childminders (tagesmutter/baby
parking)
Childminders may host from 3-5 children in their own homes
according to the age of the children. They offer a more flexible
service than the daycare centres as each family can agree an
individual timetable with the 'host mother'. They often offer
longer opening hours and continuity throughout the summer. Please
contact the WO Udine for a list of these mini daycare
centres.
- Babysitters - informal
arrangements which are advertised
locally.
FOR 3 TO 6 YEARS OLD
- Playschools
Early years education is free in state playschools.
Families do pay however, for the mid-morning snack and hot lunch
provided by the canteen. For information about enrolment contact
the School office of your chosen 'didactic
circle' of schools. Playschool hours are slightly shorter than
daycare centres - usually between 7.30am-1.30 for the morning
session, and until 3.30pm for the whole day.
- Ludoteca
Udine town council is currently preparing for the
opening of a new playcentre in Via del Sale n.21. It is hoped that
this structure will soon open its doors to many little interested
and curious visitors.
- Summer camps
Udine town council runs summer camps
for children aged 3-11 throughout the summer in a number of
different venues. For more information about opportunities this
summer contact the Educational Projects office: progettieducativi@comune.udine.it
ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES 6+
Before and After
School services in Udine are offered by some (especially
Primary) schools to enable parents to drop their children off
earlier and collect them later. The families that register to use
this service (N.B. fee-paying) can take their children up to 45
minutes before the start of school, and collect them as late as
16.30: it is however advisable to check with the municipality about
the availability of this service. Recreational and educational
activities are organised during this time by supervisory staff.
Sources: MIUR,
EURAXESS Italy,
Municipality of
Udine, Udine education
office, FVG
Regional education office, Staying in Italy Legally - Italian
Police