ITALY

Between 22 May and 12 June 1995, I participated in a teacher exchange program organised by the Central Bureau in this country and the Education Department of the Italian Government. The following is a shortened report of my experiences and findings while staying and working in the Genoa region.

MY ACCOMMODATION

I stayed in a small top-floor flat in a palatial nineteenth century former holiday villa in the charming town of Lavagna, historically the strong-hold of one of the most powerful families of the medieval Genoese Republic: the Fieschi. Lavagna is about one hour's local train journey from Genoa and this meant that I had to be up early to catch the 7.04 train to Sturla in order to be in time for the start of the school. Local trains are rather less frequent than I was used to in my area of southeast London but I was always able to get to my appointments reasonably well on time. The advantages of staying at Lavagna more than outweighed the disadvantages; a beautiful beach with the sea warm enough for May bathing was only ten minutes walking distance away from my front door and there were excellent footpaths leading to the remoter hinterland of Liguria which is sparsely populated and quite un-touched by the tourist development on the coastline. In fact, over 98% of the total Ligroin population of is concentrated on the coastal band and it is the settlements on the backing mountains which are gradually being de-populated as more and more people leave their farms and villages and gravitate towards the urban settlements. Large tracts are protected areas and they form a wild and extremely impressive land with rich flora and fauna, including wild boars, marmots and red squirrels. An extensive network of footpaths, well signposted by the local branch of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club), traverses the region, making it a haven for rambling and orienteering enthusiasts. Rock-climbing and winter skiing are also possible in several tracts.

The most frequented areas, however, are along the coast with their succession of seaside resorts catering to a wide variety of tastes. The part immediately to the East of Genoa is reckoned to be rather more beautiful than that to the West, which is often heavily industrialised with decaying steel-mills and which is the centre for the new container, oil and coal termini. Genoa Airport is also located in this area. (It is certainly not recommended for first-time air passengers since its location on reclaimed land from the sea makes it seem as if landing and taking-off planes are about to plunge at any moment into the blue waters of the Mediterranean. It has, however, a very good safety record).

The fact that I was at some distance from Genoa, that my journey to my flat took me through some exquisite resorts and that lessons were usually over by 13.00 meant that I was able to break my journey home and go for a refreshing dip at any one of a number of spectacular locations. In particular, the Portofino peninsula with its rare Mediterranean maquis vegetation and stunning pudding-stone rock formations proved a particular favourite with me.

HOW I OBTAINED MY INFORMATION

I would assess my spoken and written knowledge of Italian as fluent. There were four ways I obtained information about the educational system:

1. Interviewing members of staff.

Staff was always very co-operative in answering my questions. The Principal of my main exchange school even went so far as to arrange meetings between staff of other educational establishments and myself so that I could obtain a fuller picture of the context of the school within the national educational context. Although obviously a very busy person (and particularly involved in sorting out the latest Government proposals for upper secondary education reforms) the Principal was always available for discussion and advice. This was not a special concession addressed to a visiting foreign teacher but was general procedure with all other members of staff at the school who would come into his office at all times with problems major and minor. The general impression I obtained was that he was somewhat similar to a Father Confessor figure whose sympathetic attitude and easy access did much to oil the sometimes frictioned functioning of the school. In common with all other head teachers at Italian State schools the Preside (principal) was promoted from a standard teaching post, in this case that of Classics master. His administrative post was, thus, firmly grounded on years of didactic experience in the classroom. This is clearly a situation which is becoming increasingly rare in England when the spread of autonomous educational establishments as a result of encouraging Tory Government policy ('incorporated colleges' and 'grant-maintained schools) means that a head of an educational establishment is often chosen more on his/her managerial skills than on his/her former teaching experience. Thus, Principals may sometimes have had no prior teaching experience at all. I am not criticising this situation, merely stating that when I explained it to my Italian partners they appeared surprised and could not readily understand it. At the same time there are moves under the proposed reforms to increase the, at present minimal, number of grant-maintained schools and colleges in Italy, so a wider split between management and teaching staff may also occur to in the Italian context.

2. Observing classes

Teachers and pupils were equally keen that I should join their classes as a participant observer. I tended to concentrate on particular classes and followed their lessons through a morning session. As in equivalent institutions in Britain, Italian teachers do not readily take to class interruption from other colleagues, let alone visitors from abroad. However, in my case, I reached the stage where I had to turn down some invitations to join a class. I feel that the reason for this may be due to:

1. The fact that I came from England and could assist in developing students' skills in spoken English.

2. The fact that the academic year was ending soon and that many classes were able and willing to go in for activities not directly involved with their examination course of studies.

3. Reading prospectuses, reports and other documents.

Marketing education in Italy has not reached the proportions it has in Britain. All the same I was able to pick up a number of leaflets and other material which enabled me to fill in the picture I had obtained. At the same time I had to be wary of accepting facts from these leaflets without prior corroboration of evidence. Many promised courses have had to be suspended in view of the failure of the Italian Government to fully implement legislative aspects of educational reform.

4. Teaching classes

I mainly taught the fifth year classes. The subjects I was asked to teach were Geology and Geography (of Britain, particularly of the London Basin - my first degree involves geography and geology)) and some Information Technology. I also assisted in conversation in English language and literature lessons. I taught the lessons almost wholly in English, as requested by the teachers, and this in itself made the lessons useful to the pupils. I had very few problems with pupils' language comprehension, which was often of a surprisingly high level. Indeed, this aspect leads me to make the following comments.

EXCELLENCE OF LANGUAGE LEARNING IN THE LIGURIA REGION

Not surprisingly, when one considers Liguria as a region with easier access to its separate parts from the sea rather than from the winding roads of the hinterland, and its armchair position facing the multiplex mercantile routes of the Mediterranean and their multi-cultural mix of travellers, there is a considerable openness in learning foreign languages, especially English and French, in that order. However, what particularly struck me was that I was able to conduct geological, computer logic and other technical discussions in English with very little concessions made to my young Italian audience. Considering that less than one-half of them had actually been able to spend any time in an English-speaking part of the world, and that most of them had learnt their language in the classroom, this was most impressive. Their accent, though sometimes tending to USA intonation (partly because of the teacher) was also excellent and the grammar was impeccable, rather better than many of their peers I teach in equivalent classes at Woolwich College!

On the other hand, this situation is not surprising since it must be considered that there are three basic education "frontiers" to be surmounted in Italy in order to obtain a decent job rather than the two in England. These "frontiers" are:

1. Reading and writing skills in one's native language + arithmetic.

2. Information technology skills.

3. Working knowledge of English

Conversely, my Italian partner commented to me unfavourably on the foreign language skills of students of equivalent ages and courses in this country. Presumably, many people in this country regard the fact that their European partners speak a foreign first language as a temporary aberration which will eventually disappear in a few year's time when everyone finally learns to speak the Queen's (or King's?) English. This is clearly a both racist and a snap judgement: podsnappery at its worse, in fact. One of the major complaints from teachers and students alike was the difficulty in arranging exchanges with British schools and colleges. They stated that this situation was in distinction to that prevailing among the other EC partners. Indeed, many students had developed their English while staying with Dutch families but they would obviously have preferred to spend their time in England with English-speaking families. Upon my return I brought up this point with a staff member involved in European exchanges. He offered me several reasons for this situation. They can be summarised as follows:

1. Closed and insular nature of much English society causes lack of willingness in venturing abroad to stay in other cultures.

2. Inferior quality of much housing in England breeds shame where reciprocal exchanges are concerned.

3. Decline in legitimated nuclear families as distinct from the continent also militates against equivalent social unit exchanges.

4. Large ethnic urban mix often means English is not first language in the home so it is not spoken within the family unit as expected by the exchangee.

AN ITALIAN COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION?

As a lecturer in Information Processing and Numeracy at a College of Further Education I was unable to identify one single type of educational establishment in Italy equivalent in scope and content. I, therefore, decided to look at three types of educational institutions, which, in my opinion, together covered the same area of ground as the College of Further Education. These three types, which correspond to the essentially three-fold division of upper secondary education in Italy, are:

LICEO STATALE (State Upper Secondary School)

The Liceo can be of various types, each one emphasising a particular range of subjects. The main types are

- Liceo Classico

- Liceo Scientifico

- Liceo Artistico

- Liceo Linguistico

- Istituto Magistrale (for those training to become teachers in lower secondary schools (Scuola Media))

It must be stressed that the similarities between the various Licei are often closer than their differences. All types of Liceo concentrate more of their teaching time on certain core subjects (of this more later) than on the subjects which differentiate one type from the other.

ISTITUTO TECNICO (Technical College)

This is a development of the old worker's technical colleges and now offers a clearly defined alternative to university. Courses are still centred on engineering and electrical subjects but electronics and computer systems have been considerably developed in recent years. Indeed, in terms of computing provisions I found the example I visited of this type of college by far the best equipped and the most aware with an installation that would have done credit to Woolwich College.

ISTITUTO PROFESSIONALE

Better translated as vocational rather than Professional College this can be of two types:

- Istituto Professionale Statale Industria e di Artigianato (IPSIA)

- Istituto Professionale Statale Commercio (IPSC)

In England, the typical College of Further Education combines features of all of the above three. It provides secondary education in form of GCSE's and 'A' levels for students wishing to take these subjects, like the Licei. It provides technical training in a variety of GNVQ type subjects, such as car-maintenance and electronics like the Istituti Tecnici. It provides vocationally oriented course in areas such as office administration and Nursery Nursing (although for the latter there is a separate type of institution altogether in Italy) like the Istituti Professionali.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING AGENCY (ENAIP)

This is an organisation developed from the old Christian Workers' educational charities which sets up a variety of highly flexible courses directed at relieving unemployment through re-training. About 90% of its funds come from regional, State and European funds with the rest coming from companies and associations. ENAIP is by no means only aimed at unemployed school-leavers or long-term unemployed. It also runs a series of post-graduate courses aimed at helping to stem the increasing trend of graduate unemployment.

STRUCTURE OF ITALIAN UPPER SECONDARY AND FURTHER STATE EDUCATION

Compulsory school education still ends at age 14 (età di obbligo) at the Scuola Media (lower secondary school) although for many years there have been attempts to extend this to the agreed EC limit of 16. It is possible then, in theory, for school leavers to enter into full-time employment when they are 14. This situation, however, rarely occurs in the area I worked. Most schoolchildren go on to pursue a further two years (biennio) at one of the three main types of educational establishments. The following chart shows the kind of progression these establishments offer and how they relate to each other.

Lower secondary school (Scuola Media) (11 to 14 years)

Upper secondary education

Liceo Technical Institute Vocational Institute

University

Professional Instruction

World of Work

The following points nonplussed me.

1. At 14 a lower secondary school leaver is faced with choices which, in theory, could influence the rest of his learning and working life. This potential early choice was a matter which was of serious concern to most teachers I talked to and one which they hoped will be addressed by the reform proposals for secondary education (one of which would raise the minimum school leaving age to 16).

2. The Istituti di Formazione (professional 'world of work' educational institutions) offer a two-way entry. The first is from the Scuola Media. The second is from the university. At first this might seem a surprisingly large qualificatory range. However, it is due to the special nature of these IPSIA, run with a very close collaboration from local and national prospective employers, which I will describe when I go on to talk about my experiences and findings when visiting two of them.

The Liceo Classico and the Liceo Scientifico might, at first sight, appear to emphasise Humanities and Science respectively. In practice, however, there is far less difference between them. True, the Liceo Scientifico devotes more hours to science-based subjects and the Liceo Classico devotes more time to literature, Greek, etc. However, both Licei teach History of Philosophy, Italian literature and Latin right down to the last (fifth) year. In both cases, too, more time is devoted to Latin and Philosophy than is given over to those subjects which are supposed to differentiate the two types of Licei. The following table shows subjects taught and hours spent at the two types of upper secondary schools:

TEACHING TIMETABLE

SUBJECTS LICEO CLASSICO

-----------------------------------------------------------

CLASS I II III IV V

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Italian Language & Lit 5 5 4 3 4

Latin Language & Lit 5 6 5 5 4

Foreign Language & Lit 3 4 3 3 4

History & Civic Educ 4 3 2 2 3

Geography 2 - - - -

Philosophy 2 3 3

Natural Sc, Chem & Geog 1 2 2 2

Physics 2 4 4

Mathematics 4 3 3 3 3

Drawing & Design 1 3 2 2 2

Religious Instruction 1 1 1 1 1

Physical Education 2 2 2 2 2

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TOTALS 25 27 28 29 30

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SUBJECTS LICEO SCIENTIFICO

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CLASS I II III IV V

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Italian Language & Lit 4 4 4 3 4

Latin Language & Lit 4 5 4 4 3

Foreign Language & Lit  3 4 3 3 4

History & Civic Educ 3 2 2 2 3

Geography                 2 - - - -

Philosophy                 2 3 3

Natural Sc, Chem & Geog 2 3 3 3

Physics 2 3 3

Mathematics 5 4 3 3 3

Drawing & Design 1 3 2 2 2

Religious Instruction 1 1 1 1 1

Physical Education 2 2 2 2 2

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TOTALS 25 27 28 29 30

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An examination of this table will show that the similarities between the two types of Licei are much greater than their differences. In the Liceo Scientifico the Sciences and Foreign Languages actually take up less teaching time than Latin and History of Philosophy! Also, there is no teaching time exclusively devoted to Information technology. Both the Liceo Classico and the Liceo Scientifico are highly respected by education-conscious Italian families but the Liceo Scientifico has marginally more prestige. This is for a variety of reasons, the main ones of which are better provision for quality equipment and a feeling that teaching is of a higher quality at the Liceo Scientifico.

LACK OF TEACHER TRAINING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR TEACHING

I was amazed to find that no special teacher training is certificate is required to teach at secondary and further education establishments. All that is needed is a degree. The situation in Italy is, therefore, much the same as it existed in England prior to the introduction of the compulsory PGCE in 1984 for University graduates. However, teachers in primary schools (Scuola media) require a qualification from the Scuola magistrale (teacher training college) before they can teach. There has been much talk about implementing a PGCE equivalent in Italy but the often-bewildering change of Governments and coalitions has militated against the implementation of this proposal. The fact that there is no compulsory teacher training at the secondary and further education levels means that teachers tend to teach in the manner they remember they were taught. This has the effect that many didactic techniques observed in the classroom may appear to be old-fashioned and rigidly academic to an English visiting teacher.

Thus, education tends to be prescriptive rather than to possess significant exploratory approaches. The teacher imparts learning; the pupil absorbs it. Learning by rote and memorisation of key facts rather than the ability to draw conclusions of one's own is the general impression I obtained of the aims of conducting classes. (I was frequently reminded of Gradgrind's definition of a horse in Dickens' "Hard Times").

I should also stress that many teachers are aware of this situation and are trying to formulate their own answer to it. At the Liceo King there are, anyway, several extra curriculum activities advertised. For example, there are afternoon sports activities in the excellently equipped gymnasium, which also has some recently purchased state-of-the-art weight-lifting and body-developing equipment in addition to an adventurous climbing wall opened by a well-known Olympic champion only two years ago.

Thus, the fact that Italian education emphasises theoretical knowledge at the expense of practical orientation is only a general statement. If the system leans so heavily on a traditional teacher-centred approach this also means that more adventurous teachers are able to introduce more innovative methods without particular damage or censure. Indeed, one of the wonders of Italian teaching is the very wide approach to teaching methods, which are based on personal preferences rather than any formal didactic training. Of course, this approach can lead to one of the worst situations in the classroom: the fact that the difference between motivational teachers and hopeless teachers can be very wide and there is little one can do to perform a damage-limitation exercise with respect to the latter (i.e. put them on library duty). Moreover, teachers still tend to be assessed on what they know of their subject (which in a large number of cases can often be much greater than their equivalent colleagues in England) rather than on their efficacy in imparting their knowledge to the class. School inspectors' briefs are mainly concerned in ensuring that the National Syllabus has been covered and that administrative paperwork has been duly filled in correctly, not to observe the effectiveness of individual teachers' approaches and methods, advise on this and, if needs be, obtain further training or, at the worst, get them sacked.

COMPARISON OF SOCIO-HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDS OF SOUTH-EAST LONDON AND GENOA

Genoa, the city selected through the Central Bureau for the exchange, presents a considerable number of analogous environmental and historical conditions to those existing in Woolwich. Both are areas with historically extensive docks and industries allied to commercial shipping such as ship repair and import-export business. Both areas have seen a catastrophic decline in these occupations over the last twenty years. However, Genoa, unlike London, where the port has simply moved elsewhere has seen a resurgence of maritime activities over recent years with the take-over of the port by consortiums. Moreover, a new container harbour is being built at Voltri and leisure and tourist shipping has seen a rapid upturn. Where large liners and merchant ships formerly occupied the wharves there are now pleasure boats private yachts and other smaller craft.

So, unlike London where, despite some marina development in the Royal Docks area and the river bus, the port area is still very much under-used except as a panoramic surround to the opulent new office developments and fashionable housing, Genoa is re-inventing its shipping-based activities into a new image and still remains the premier port in Italy, the third in the Mediterranean and the seventh in Europe in terms of the gross tonnage passing through its waterfront.

All the same there is a serious unemployment problem, as in my area of South East London, with more than a third of people without work in some areas, particularly to the West of the city where the old heavy industrial steel and ship-building complexes at Sestri Ponente and Cornigliano have suffered acutely. In those areas the secondary educational establishments have particularly felt the difficulty of re-orienting family employment traditions based on shipping and heavy industries to those directed to services and tourism. Later, I shall give an account of what they are doing to remedy this situation.

Passing by the dilapidating steel mills and heavy pollution of the Cornigliano area it is often difficult to realise that this area was once, in previous centuries, highly favoured by noblemen and artists for the construction of their summer villas and palaces. There are plans to clear derelict and superseded industrial sites and the Region's Government has already made some progress. It will be difficult, however, to encourage holiday-makers to visit an area so closely associated in people's minds with coal and grime. Moreover, the nature of tourism has changed. The environment and freedom of choice are the main key words in the emerging new tourism ('Eco-tourism'). Staying in an essentially urban setting, with sadly spoilt environment and a lack of ready entertainment, is just not acceptable with the new breed of holiday-makers who favour the wilder beaches of the Ligurian coast, like the Cinque Terre, or who seek the peace and solitude of the spectacular hinterland of the Apennines with their path-intersected forests.

EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS VISITED AND TAUGHT IN

I shall now give an account of each particular educational establishment I visited, taught in and observed in more detail.

LICEO SCIENTIFICO MARTIN LUTHER KING

(State Scientific Secondary School)

For my example I chose the Liceo Scientifico Statale Martin Luther King, Via Sturla, Genova. The choice was easy since this is the school where my exchange teacher, who had visited my college for four weeks immediately prior to my arrival in Italy, works, teaching Science subjects. It, thus, provided my main base and reference from which I could compare other types of secondary education within the Italian context. I spent more time at the Liceo than any of the other educational institutions I visited and consequently was able to obtain a fuller and broader insight.

The Liceo Scientifico Martin Luther King is situated in East Genoa's Sturla area. Genoa is the chief city of the Liguria region in northern Italy and the fifth largest urban centre (population 700,000) in Italy. Sturla is a relatively prosperous inner suburb of Genova and many of the problems afflicting world cities initially appear to be absent in this reasonably well to do suburban area with its frequent areas of greenery and its delightful fishing enclaves of Boccadasse and Vernazzano. When I first visited the Liceo I was amazed at the hundreds of motorini (mopeds) parked by the students along the approach drives. At Woolwich College, only a handful of students travel with their own transport, most arriving to their lessons by bus or/and train. Of course, the overwhelming presence of mopeds does not automatically mean that the students at the Liceo King are better off. A more equable climate and cheaper vehicle tax costs also have something to do with this. However, greater willingness of families to contribute to the furtherance of their children's education, even if this only means getting them a means of transport which will not excuse them from not turning up or being late for their classes, must be an important factor.

The more cynical teachers said that the interest parents showed in encouraging their children's education was not because they were enamoured with the cultural significance of learning per se but because success in passing educational qualifications mean that they could more easily obtain their ruolo or post in a profession, whether it be governmental or commercial.

In England the old days where a degree from Oxbridge or other reputable universities would automatically guarantee one a high entry in the Civil Service or Merchant Banking are over. In Italy they still exist. Italian Education has an essentially legalistic basis, not one based on the Arnoldian precepts of character formation and self-reliance. Italian families are interested in their children's education principally for the advantages the pezzo di carta (certificate) will confer on their job-seeking prospects. The model of the English Public school with its compulsory games, school societies and after-class activities is not for them. No boards of governors with parent representatives worry the school administrative and teaching staff. The close tie of political affiliation with educational administration, the conflict between Local and National Government levels so notorious in Britain, are at a fledging stage here. If children need character-building activities and require development of their sense of self-reliance and independence then they can join the scouts. Boys, of course, will have every chance to build their characters and learn to live away from their mothers and fathers when they do their compulsory year in the Italian Army, usually after they have completed their university courses.

The Liceo is housed in a modern functional building built in 1968 in the characteristic modernist style of the period. It was during the sixties economic boom that Genoa, like most other Italian cities and towns, built or rebuilt the majority of colleges and schools. Most of the establishments I visited were of this type. During my stay some refurbishment was being carried out, and generally the building seems to be in good condition and quite roomy with a spacious entrance hall, wide corridors and ample classroom space. There are 800 students, 40 members of staff and 18 other employees.

The 800 students are divided into 30 odd classes spread over five years and averaging between 20 and 30 students per class.

Lessons are held six days a week and take place from 8.00 to 13.00 with just one 10-minutes break at 11.00. There are considerable complaints from pupils and staff alike about this almost continuous 5-hour teaching and learning stint. Powers of concentration wane and teaching effectiveness decreases. But the alternative, of having morning and afternoon sessions, as in England, is generally agreed to be impossible to implement for reasons of existing work patterns, lack of school canteen and refreshment facilities and problems of transport. All the same, the school is officially open until 18.00 for the purposes of individual pupil attention and work preparation, and the school-keeper (bidello) obviously remains on the premises until this time.

The year comprises 200 days of teaching. Lessons start on 1 September and end by the first week of June. During this time pupils have a week at Easter and three weeks for Christmas. It is only lessons, which end in June. Students return during the second half of June to take their final examinations (esami di maturità), the Italian equivalent of 'A' levels. Exams may continue well into July and some teachers will, of course, have to be present during this time. Before 1969 all pupils were tested in all the 12 subjects they were taught in. Already by that time this was considered to be unduly hard on the pupils who, many felt, were exposed to an impossibly gruelling revision and assessment process. As a result of the 'Year of Revolution' (1968), which saw many demonstrations, some violence and even assassinations in Italy's educational establishments, a provisional 'experimental' examination program which has survived to this day. Thus, for over 26 years the Italian State school examination system has been of 'experimental' status! The 'experimental' system involves the reduction of subjects taken for the final exam to two. A commission chooses the other the pupil chooses one of these. In theory the second exam choice is kept secret until the last moment. But two factors have militated against this. The first is that there have been allegations of payments taken from private schools so that pupils may have prior knowledge of the second exam subject. The second is that the date of disclosure of the second exam is being announced earlier than previously. This last fact seriously irritates many teachers, particularly those who teach subjects not selected by the commissione (examining body). By law they are still obliged to teach their classes those subjects but it is natural that the students are no longer motivated to learn in their lessons since they will not be tested in those subjects. Several teachers I spoke to testified to the frustration of teaching classes in subjects, which had been declared non-testable during the final year. They naturally found it difficult to keep the pupils' attention when their minds were concentrated on those subjects they knew they would be tested in.

Of course, final exams are not the only way pupils are tested at school during their five years at the Liceo. Classwork (compiti di classe) are also set throughout the school year. There was no fixed number of these but most teachers appeared to hold marks for at least six separate compiti in their register.

NEW COURSES FOR 95-96 ONWARDS

Considerable changes in course organisation are planned starting from 1995. At present there is no difference (say) between class 1A and class 1F. However, from 1995 the letter suffix after each class will be significant in terms of the subject mix of that class, These are the proposed class mixes:

'A' course

Normal (English as foreign language) 26 hours class contact per week

'B' course

Normal (English as foreign language) 26 hours class contact per week

'C' course

National experimental program in Information Technology with introduction of Physics in year 1 (English as foreign language) 29 hours class contact per week

'D' course

National experimental program in Information Technology (only for maths). English as foreign language. 26 hours class contact per week. With extra science experiments: 29 hours.

'E' course

National experimental program in Information technology (only for maths) (English as foreign language) 26 hours class contact per week. A second foreign language French (30 hours per week)

'F' course

National experimental program in Information Technology (only for Maths) (English as foreign language) 26 hours class contact per week

COMPUTER PROVISION

There is one computer lab in the basement of the building which is equipped with 20-odd 286 machines running under DOS 3. In addition there is one 386 machine which is able to run Windows.

Almost exclusively, the 286 machines, which are connected into a network with a central monitoring screen, are used for maths support. Mathcad (DOS version) is the program chosen. I observed a second-year class using this program to verify formulas and answers used in a preceding maths class lesson. About 28 students were present and some of them had to share a machine. This class had a history of disciplinary problems during the year and had been temporarily excluded from the lab. The teacher taking the class complained to me that in effect this meant that the students had little more than six hours in front of a computer terminal since January. I could see why the class had disciplinary problems. While I was attending it, for example, one boy put a bootleg games disc into the machine and invited me to play it with him. Although the teacher was as effective as one could possibly be in this situation I felt that a second, support, staff member was sorely needed.

The teacher in charge of the Computer lab was particularly keen on installing a recently developed maths learning program from France, which he demonstrated to me. Called Geo-Cabri, it strengthens students' awareness of geometrical, trigonometric and topological concepts and theories.

The Liceo plans to have a thorough overhaul of computer facilities during the next year in order to provide for the proposed new courses. Clearly, machines will be replaced by 486's, a more efficient network will be operated and more Windows oriented software will be installed, together with the maths learning package mentioned above.

OTHER LABS, FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

There are labs for sciences, physics and photography, all reasonably well equipped but used in a less exploratory and empirical way than is normal in equivalent English schools. (This is not my opinion as I am not a science teacher but is what I have been told by my exchange colleague.). There is a 'projection' room with video facilities and also a language lab with room for up to 30 students, which was being overhauled during my visit and which, therefore, I was unable to view in action. The library is housed in the largest space of the school and has over 7,000 volumes, several of them recent and including some excellent scientific and other works of reference. There are, as yet, no multi-media (iper-testo) facilities. However, due to various factors it is considerably under-utilised. These factors are:

1. Lack of computerisation of book catalogue.

2. Previous haphazard nature of library administration by poorly organised teacher.

3. Lack of publicity of library facilities to the whole school.

4. Use of room for other purposes, e.g. final student grades meetings etc.

The librarian, who is also a teacher of literature, was busy cataloguing the collection, tracing missing books etc. She was hopeful that more students would use the excellent resources in the new academic year.

GENERAL PERCEPTIONS

For someone who comes from a teaching experience mostly centred in a southeast London Inner City College the most vivid first impressions of the Liceo King can be summarised as follows:

1. Homogeneity of ethnic composition and social backgrounds of the students.

There are no students from entirely African, Asian or other ethnic backgrounds at the school. I did spot one student who was of mixed white/black race. When one realises that to find an all-white school in London is now an extremely rare occurrence then this is indeed a quite startling point, especially since Genoa, primarily due to its position as a major port, should have a considerable proportion of immigrants (extra-communitari). In fact, Genoa has around 65,000 immigrants. However, these are largely concentrated in the old town (Centro storico). Although there is this concentration few immigrants or ethnic minority groups are well established in the social fabric or have good or professional careers. Officials who often find the environment in the old town intimidating or are short-staffed do not enforce educational obligations on them. Furthermore, support services and help for immigrants are rudimentary by British standards. This fact emphasises that the only really profitable businesses many 'extracommunitari' take on are street-hawking, petty thieving, drug trafficking and prostitution. Eastern European refugees are rapidly gaining the ascendancy on this last, according to my evidence.

2. Formal disposition of the classroom arrangements and the teaching methods.

All classrooms have their desks arranged in exactly the same way (with the exception of the computer and language labs), that is with two pupils to one table-desk in rows facing the teacher. Each class stays in its room (except, of course, for gym, computing and languages) and it is the teacher who moves around. Class-mates also behave in a formal way: they all stand up when a teacher comes into the room (including me) and are good at self-regulation, shushing each other up when they feel the noise-level (which is much lower than in equivalent classes in Britain) is too high for them to follow the teacher's words.

3. Centralisation of syllabus contents and lack of equivalent examination boards.

The Government's Ministry of Education lays down the selection of subjects and the syllabus contents and education is characterised by centralisation and uniformity of contents throughout Italy. There are no competing examination boards here! This means that a pupil in Sicily, attending the same type of Liceo Scientifico would know exactly what his compatriots have to study in Liguria. The selection of subjects shows considerable divergence from those a pupil of the equivalent age would be expected to study in England. The following summarise these divergences:

a) Latin and History of Philosophy are taught as compulsory separate subject at both the Licei Classici and the Licei Scientific.

b) Although the Liceo is aware of the importance of Computing and Information Processing and, indeed, has a workable computer laboratory, the integration of this subject within the school is at an earlier stage than in Britain. Much development in this area, however, is planned, especially with the advent of IT as a separate subject in the final exams.

ISTITUTO PROFESSIONALE

ISTITUTO PROFESSIONALE STATALE INDUSTRIA ARTIGIANATO A. ODERO (IPSIA)

This college is located in Sestri Ponente, formerly a separate city but now subsumed under the administration of the Comune of Greater Genoa. Sestri, as it is generally called, used to be the heartland of heavy industry in the region. The Italsider steelworks, the oil storage and oil refinery depots are all near it, in addition to having many port and shipping based industries. The college was thus built and administered with the principal view of supplying suitably trained students to take up employment with these heavy industries. However, within the last twenty years the port of Genoa, from being the chief port of Italy and a leading maritime centre of the Mediterranean declined dramatically through various factors (not least, the dock-workers' resistance to change in the form of containerisation and corrupt communist-inspired union practices) to the extent that its shipping traffic throughput was reduced to less than a twentieth of what it was in 1964. However, as already mentioned above, the situation regarding the Port of Genoa has now improved and the new container installations at Voltri should, no doubt, continue this trend. The relevance of the tertiary economic sector (commerce, tourism, transport, communications, ports, insurance, banking, various services etc.) is the main economic activity of this region and gives work to 62% of the working population. (401,000 out of 648,000, which is about 20% above the national average.) In spite of public grants and EC subsidies this situation shows no sign of being significantly affected by recession. In the area of Greater Genoa itself, the Port gives employment to 46,000 persons. This comprises 21% of the area's total working population. Thus, one in five of all people work in activities directly related to Genoa's importance as a major European port.

All the same the College finds itself in a radically changed position regarding potential employers in the area. From the old virtual job guarantee to all its students and the former supply of appropriate training at the demand of the old heavy industrial firms it is now catering to an increasingly growing sector of medium to long-term unemployed people. At the same time the revolution in digital technology has made many of its form courses meaningless, These facts were discussed between the Computing and Electronics department section head Ingegnier Basili and myself. Basili stated that he himself had originally worked in a traditional setting where electronics and machinery applications inhabited quite separate worlds. He now realises that car mechanics cannot be divorced from knowledge of digital technology; such is the nature of integrated systems today. Because of these factors there has been a complete overhaul in the types of courses offered over the last few years. This is in line with a Government White paper edited by the then Education Minister Rosa Jervolino Russo and the General Director of this department Giuseppe Martinez. As a result of this document general qualificatory areas have been rationalised and reduced to 19 from an origin 140, (apart from a few non-mainstream courses) thereby discarding out-of-date specialisation and creating a more flexible professional preparation in the students. Thus, such qualifications as 'mechanical lathe turner', 'mechanical supervisor’ and ''mechanical repairer' have all been subsumed under a new heading 'mechanical operator'. All the new courses involve an initial length of three years (except for dental and ophthalmic technicians, which last generally for five years with a three-year course length for lab technicians). This is in line with all vocational educational establishments when their relationship to the much discussed secondary schools reform plan, as approved by the Government, is described.

The hours spent weekly on the various subjects during the first two years is as follows:

All courses during the first two years:

- Common area of study (Italian, History, Foreign Language, Law & Economics, Maths and IT, Earth Sciences, Biology, Physical Education & Religion): 22 hours

- Specialised area of study: 14 hours

- Tutorial groups, study skills etc.: 4 hours

During the third year study of specialised subjects is increased from 21 to 24 hours weekly. General areas of study are also increased, from 12 to 15 hours weekly while tutorial periods remain at 4 hours weekly.

Thus, the maximum hour of weekly lessons and study is 40 hours. This compares with 46 hours for former courses. There are particular provisions regarding the "Biennio". (This is a specific term applied to a two-year study unit, which ends with a qualifying examination. Usually, it is applied to the two-years after the end of compulsory education in lower secondary schools (i.e. from 14 to 16 years). The term "Biennio" can also be applied, however, to the final two years of a Vocational College course). These provisions are enacted pending the enactment of the much talked-about National secondary school reform program. They involve integrated college-work-place courses with the dual aim of providing a National Diploma and a professional qualification approved by the Liguria Region.

The Odero is divided into three distinct sections:

- Mechanical

- Electrical & electronic

- Computer

After three years a student may obtain a Qualifying Diploma which should help them find employment without too much difficulty. After a further two years a student may receive a Finals Vocational Diploma, which enables them to apply for University. (This is quite a recent development and is part of the government's 'Open Universities' programme whereby those attending vocational educational institutions, like the Odero, which were mainly job-oriented, may switch to higher education with greater ease and flexibility.)

The following is the typical timetable of a student attending a computer technician and maintenance course in the Computer section:

YEAR

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SUBJECT I II III

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Religious Instruction 1 1 1

General Studies 6 6 6

Maths 5 5 5

Physics 5(3) 5(3)

Electronics 5(3)

Technical English 3 3

Electronics 18(15) 18(15) 18(15)

PT 2 2 2

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TOTALS 40 40 40

-----------------------------------------------------

(NB numbers in brackets refer to the presence of an extra 'practicals' lecturer, in addition to the 'theory' lecturer).

To introduce more potential students to the courses available at the Odero an 'Open Week' (Scuola Aperta) about three times a year is organised. I came to the Istituto during one of these open weeks and was shown some exhibition cases filled with students’ work in the field of electronics, machine tooling and plumbing. In spite of the efforts of the staff and the attractive nature of the courses the Ingegnier had the usual complaints about paucity of visitors to the 'open week'.

Among new courses which have had particular success are the following:

- Electrical and Electronics equipment installer

- Electronics and Computer maintenance engineer.

ISTITUTO PROFESSIONALE RUFFINO

This is located on the two top floors of a late nineteenth century block on the Via XX Settembre, a central and busy thoroughfare paved with the characteristic 'alla Genovese' mosaic floors and lined with arcades beneath which are found fashionable and expensive shops and cafes. In spite of this location, however, the College's environment is unprepossessingly dingy. The entrance has only a worn nameplate to signify the Ruffino's presence and the entrance corridor leading to a rather shaky lift is dark. Although some work was being carried out in re-painting a corridor, the standard of the decor and fittings gave a dilapidated impression with worn desks, peeling walls and poor lighting. For a prospective student the initial impression is certainly not very welcoming. In spite of this fact, I rapidly gained the feeling that the Ruffino is quite a lively place and attracts a large number of students (over 1000) largely because of its extremely central location. Indeed, the Comune of Genoa sites its centrality as the only reason why it keeps it open for the college does not actually own the premises and the Comune has to pay a considerable rent to the private landlord. I spoke with two lecturers, Professoressa Mangano, who is a relatively young married lady with a family, and Professor Massimi, who is an equally young married man, on a variety of topics. These topics and their conclusions can be summarised as follows:

COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PROVISION

There were 22 computers for student use, laid out two per desk in a long, narrow room. At first I thought they were connected in a network. In fact, they were all stand-alone and completely unconnected to each other. Not only that but they consisted of a variety of models ranging from unexpanded PC-286's to 386's. In addition, there were very few software packages uniform to all of them. One of the few was Lotus 1-2-3 and Word. This meant that only these two packages could be used to teach a class as a whole. The lack of a suitably qualified technician and the variable state of the machines meant that it was rare that all 22 were in working order at any one time. The two lecturers had no special staff development in IT teaching. One of them had worked in a software house. The other had changed over from shorthand and typing when the need for IT development arose. The computer lab tends to be open at most times of the day although no fixed timetable for its access is shown. It can be used in a limited way for class groups. At other times it is used by individual students for word-processing (video scrittura) a variety of essays, assignments etc.

There is no student canteen at Ruffino. There is, however, a Coca-Cola dispensing machine situated on the upper floor, near reception.

DEVELOPMENT OF IT (INFORMATICA) COURSE CONTENTS

As noted in the previous teaching background of the lecturers I met course development can either come from previous experience in typing and shorthand or from working in a software house. There is still a significant lack of 'Uses of Computers' qualifications in Italy, according to my findings. This is analogous to the situation a few years ago in Britain where teaching the actual functioning of the computer was highlighted to virtually the same extent as the correct way to use it. The situation is characteristic of the development of all new technologies. To take an example from another field: early car-owners either had to have considerable technical proficiency in servicing and knowing the functions of their own vehicle or be rich enough to pay a virtually full-time chauffeur/mechanic. With the development of more user-friendly interfaces between the machine and the operator or user this previous situation is now no longer considered essential. (It is noteworthy, in this context, however, that Italy still includes an important (theoretical) knowledge of the internal combustion engine component in its driving test.)

APPROACHES TO AND PROBLEMS IN TEACHING THE STUDENTS

The Ruffino has a higher proportion of ethnic minority groups than the other places I visited although the proportion (.5%) is far lower than one would expect in an equivalent area of London. All these ethnic groups had considerable language learning problems and support for their difficulties appeared minimum. In most cases it was the individual lecturers who had to double up as language and writing support tutors. This was obviously unsatisfactory and the teachers I met complained about the lack of learning support and the fact that, due to the often unsuitable nature of the teaching material, progress was often extremely slow and there was much tedious repetition of instructions. This factor obviously had an important bearing on the following findings.

STUDENT RETENTION RATE

This was extremely poor in the registers I examined. One class, for example, started off with 45 (!) students and had now gone down to 8. This may have been due to many factors. Among these was the sense of discouragement at the lack of attention, inevitable with such a large class, and also the transient nature of the immigrants' residence, usually only lengthened by temporary visa etc.

ENAIP

As I have previously stated, this type of institution was developed from the old Christian workers educational trusts and charities. There are eight ENAIP centres in Liguria ranging from Ventimiglia on the French border to La Spezia near Tuscany. I visited two ENAIP centres:

Centro Formazione Professionale (CFP) Genoa.

This was situated in one of those old, tall (7 floors) liftless and narrow buildings, which characterise the old Genoese City centre. Although disabled students were immediately excluded because of the building's geography there were a variety of courses on offer. I participated in a class of keen 16-18 year old training in electrical home installations and also saw an IT Workshop with a network of 16 386's with Windows software. It was explained to me that the following types of courses were available here:

- Two-year courses for 14-16 year old (prima formazione)

- Post graduate courses

- 'Experimental' courses in association with particular companies with the aim of obtaining employment with them. These courses were directed particularly at disadvantaged social sectors (alienated youths, disabled, immigrants, unemployed etc.)

- Top-up courses for those in employment to bring them up-to-date with recent developments in digital technology, management techniques etc.

- Development of ties between schools and possible future employers

In addition to the above courses ENAIP also involved itself in:

- Advice, assistance and consultation for new small businesses

- Research on issues relating to work and unemployment

- Development of learning packages

- Setting up of seminars and conferences on key issues relating to work training

Centro Formazione Professionale (CFP) Savona.

This ENAIP branch was situated near Savona Port, which has experienced problems similar to Genoa's. The aims and activities of this branch are similar to those at Genoa. There were two courses I was particularly take by:

1. Multi-media in the world of commerce and advertising through IT Packages.

Here, post-graduate Information Systems students using CD-ROM installed computers were developing a variety of applications mainly directed at tourist information, publicity and administrative systems. The fact that this was a post-graduate course shows that the student range of ENAIP is broader than that of most other educational institutions.

2. Theatre design and techniques.

Under the supervision of a lecturer who had worked in London with the National Theatre Company under Hytner students were designing a production for a local arts festival using stage models etc.

3. Historic Buildings restoration.

In common with the rest of the country Liguria has a huge proportion of listed buildings (Italy has more listed buildings - as defined by UNESCO - than the rest of the EC countries put together). This course was directed at restoring old houses, particularly the tromp d'oeil painted facades and cornices which are such a feature of Riviera buildings in this region.

There are no such things as fixed course programs at the ENAIP. Extended and short courses form its stable diet and these courses are set up flexibility as demands or funds permit. Thus, no one-year is similar to any other year. At present 90% of all funding comes from the ESF but it is hoped that the private sector will involve itself more, particularly with respect to courses dealing with setting up small businesses. The lack of these in the region is recognised as a major problem and one, which has contributed specifically to Liguria's higher than average North Italian unemployment figures. |Milan, on the other hand, is thriving precisely because it is largely based on medium to small business entrepreneurship.

STAFF WORKING CONDITIONS AND PAY

On average, staff pay is at least 30% less than it is for equivalent posts in England. At the same time the differential between lower and upper levels of employment in educational establishments is far smaller. The top staff may earn perhaps up to twice as much as the lower levels, not four times as much as is often the case in England.

It might be as well to add that there are far fewer grades throughout the Italian Educational system than there is in Britain. In general, one is either a teacher/lecturer or a Head of Department. Sometimes, one or two intermediary grades may enter but this fact obviously leads to a far narrower wage differential between top and bottom of the promotion/wage scale than that which prevails in Britain.

The low rate of pay among teaching staff in Italy will strike even their colleagues in England who certainly do not complain about being overpaid. There are two main reasons why pay should be this low in Italy:

1. Decline in birth rate and overall decline in population.

Italy is probably the only country in the EC and one of the few countries in the world where the total population has actually fallen over the last ten years. In 1995, in fact, the population is almost 500,000 less than it was in 1985. And this is not due to emigration. Italy, once famous for exporting its sons, now actually has a growing immigrant (legal and non-legal) population. Various reasons have been put forward for this situation. Perhaps the most feasible one is the fact that with the high inflation rate and the lack of state benefits for single parents raising offspring in Italy is an expensive business. Moreover, Italians believe that their sons and daughters should have a better environment to grow up in than their own and be 'well presented' in public in terms of clothes and other social trimmings. The apparent British status symbol of an unmarried mother with its drain on state benefits and Tory backlash is not for Italian society (yet).

2. Lack of Union Unity.

The main teaching union only has a very small proportion of the total teaching staff as paid-up members. It has been characterised by in fighting and splinter groups in the past and has also suffered from the usual story of easily broken election pledges, which characterises Italian Politics. This means that many teachers have lost faith in its ability to fight for their rights to improved pay and working conditions.

3. Public perception of the Teaching Profession.

Time and time again I came across the feeling that teachers were very under-regarded by society. 'Teachers have really low status in Italy,' was one comment from teachers. 'They think we do nothing and spend a lot of our time having long holidays. If they knew the amount of work we have to do. At 1 o' clock we don't finish. We have barely started our work at home where we have to mark work and prepare lessons for the following day '. At the same time, people recognise that to become a teacher involved years of education and preparation and to become a good teacher needs even more.

In any case, the perception is that if one wants to work as a teacher one has either got to share one's life with a partner who has a better job than oneself with a much fatter wage-packet or one must have a second job. This latter is a feasible possibility, particularly when classes end at 13.00 as in most Italian schools. The second job can consist from giving private lessons to lazy children of the better off parents (as in most cases) to running software constancy. Other jobs among teaching staff included painting (still life and portraits) and writing Electronics manuals. Devotion to a particular institution, to the exclusion of all others, as practised by most staff in most British educational establishments is both unthinkable and unfeasible in the Italian context.

Failing the above options, teachers are resigned to a life of relative poverty and loneliness. A good proportion of all teachers at the Sturla were, in fact, unmarried women well into their middle-age.

TECHNICIANS SUPPORT

One of the biggest complaints I received from teaching staff was the poor quality of technician support in the areas of science and computing. Indeed, my exchange teacher made it a major point of criticism in her report. Part of the problem may be lack of high-quality training for this section of staff and the fact that technicians, together with administrative staff are paid by and responsible to a completely different department. They are, in fact, civil servants as distinct from teaching staff and this fact leads to very split loyalties in many Italian educational establishments. There are the usual requisition forms but few technicians would have any real knowledge of the essentials of the subject matter for which they are supplying equipment. As for computer technicians, as I have stated above these are virtually non-existent and I only came across this type of support staff when I spent an afternoon at Genoa University computer research department.

In England a high standard of technician knowledge was maintained under the old ILEA training for this type of personnel. The signs are that the old standard will not necessarily be maintained for long, although it will certainly not fall down to the levels complained about in Italy. The fact remains, however, that with the lower standards required to pass GCSE science, as distinct from the old 'O' levels, GCSE technicians role and knowledge are changing significantly in England and a simpler level of expertise is all that is required for the newer appointments in this education branch.

CONCLUSION

The principal feature I found in the Italian Educational system was its essentially traditional, even old-fashioned approach to teaching contents and methods. In terms of contents, up to university level (and even beyond this) schools are firmly ground on the basis of classical education with its emphasis on Latin and Greek, Grammar and Philosophy. The term Liceo Scientifico (Secondary science school) only implies a minimum slant towards science subjects in that type of school, as we have already noted above. In terms of methods, the fact that a degree is sufficient for teaching at secondary education level means that teaching methods often rely on what one has remembered of teaching methods at school and, therefore, veer towards the dogmatic rather than the exploratory in approach.

At the same time, recent advice from the Ministry of Education suggests that teachers should not cram the minds of their pupils with a vast number of uninitiated (or unassimilatable) facts but instead allow more class discussions and increase problem-solving sessions.

By describing Italian education as traditional and old-fashioned I am not automatically implying a value-judgement In England, where the recent history of education has been one of rapid reforms and reformulation stretching from teacher's contracts to the National Curriculum many would argue that education has suffered both in terms of staff morale and pupils' standards. Reforms are not in themselves to be preferred unless they lead to a higher quality of education. In many respects, tried and tested traditional methods have at least the benefit of consistency whereas reforms need time to settle and have their true or apparent benefits properly evaluated. (Only in a recent Sunday's newspaper I read that tear-away and under-achieving West Indian pupils in inner London schools are being sent by their parents to traditional formal schools in the Caribbean from whence they are returning to Britain with good qualifications and a more considerate and disciplined attitude towards social management. I am also reminded of my exchange colleague's comment that Asian students appear to have a much more supportive family in terms of their educational ambitions, perhaps because of a different, more formal, perception of education which they have been brought up with).

Finally, as I have previously stated, and particularly in a subject like education where the onus on the individual teacher is so important, it is perhaps the singer, not the song, which the youthful audience in the end remembers.

F. L. Pettitt

26 June 95

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