Someone I met who had been an expat in Greece told me that many other expats who had children chose to "home school" them. I know that the home schooling movement is really big in the US and other countries even amongst non expats in those countries.

Anyway - I was just wondering how big the "home schooling" movement is here in Italy - amongst Italians and amongst expats. And if anyone home schools their kids on this board - what are the requirements under Italian law?

Home schooling in Italy is pretty uncommon. Legally, in Italy education is mandatory, so any child that is not enrolled in a school, be it public (state) or private is by default considered a child that does not get any education, and therefore he parents can be subject to consequences (all the way up to jail).
Yet, if the parents can give evidence that the chid is going through honme schooling, they can be allowed to continue to instruct the child at home. But, the education, be it homeschooling or in a public (state) or private school must always follow the state mandatory programs. Besides, children that are being homeschooled or that are going to a private school must go through a series of exams (once every year or couple of years, I think) to check whether their education has included the subjects and points fixed by the law.
Now, this is prefectly doable by Italian citizens tht have had their education here in Italy because they share the basical cultural formation that is supposed to allow them to teach the basis of, say, Italian langauge or history. To a foreigner this becomes a bit harder, if nothing else because a forenìigner who studied ina foreign country will hardly know the Italian languge well enough as to teach it to a child, for instance.
Finally, there is the detail that public (state) schools in Italy are free. You don't pay anything (or next to anything) to have a child enrolled in a public school, and up to the 5th grade the state also pays for the books. The result is that most families that are leaning towards honeschooling opt for a partial homeschooling, as a suport to the regular school hours. For instance, you may consider giving your children suplementary lessons of English and your country's history (or similar subjects), thus broadening his/her/their culture while still having the child/children go to a public/state school for the rest of the stuff.

We were thinking of homeschooling our kids this year, but then realized how much they would be missing out on if they did not go to school to meet Italian kids and learn the language.

We moved here form the Caribbean, where there was a lot of homeschooling going on (mostly because the public schools are among the worst in the country). There are so many resources available now (on the web, etc) that I think it makes homeschooling a much more viable option than it used to be. We were going to use a "distance learning school" out of california - it's a program where they give you all the materials, you do the learning/teaching, and then you send all the student's work back to the "teachers" in CA. The teachers then review and document all the work. So you come out of the year having completed an accredited school, without having to figure too much out on your own. Anyway, that's one way to do it, and it can work anywhere - even Italy!

(PS - another school like this in Vermont is http://www.oakmeadow.com)

It could work in Italy if you are not a resident. All resident children must (it's a must, not a should or a could) be studying the materials and issues included in the national state programs for the school, which are obviously different from the US', than be tested on the at the exams.

Yes but there are lots of schools in Italy which do not seem to follow the standard Italian curriculum. For example someone I know teaches at the Iranian school here in Rome. It's a private school. The children do not learn Italian and all instruction is in Persian. I'm sure many of the kids are Italian residents. There are also lots of international schools here where teaching is done in English and (from what I've heard) not much Italian or, say, Italian history is taught. I actually know several Italians who have gone to such schools in Rome - so it must be ok for Italian residents as well as diplomats etc.

So - there has got to be some flexibility at least for private schools viz the Italian national curriculum. So as a foreigner resident in Italy, it may well be possible to say that you are following, at home, for example, an American curriculum or the German curriculum - just the same as the kids who go to international schools get taught a non-Italian curriculum.

That is not fully correct. I have also known several people who went to international schools, and they all had to follow the national programs. You see, it's law! This does not mean that these programs cannot be suplemented by other stuff. CHildren going to the international schools must still go through the Italian exams, which are coordinated every year by the Ministero dell'Istruzione which gives its approval to the tests before they are mailed to each school in Italy, and in case the school cannot cope with the italian programs, its upils are not allowed to ahve different exams. By the way, by law the teachers that supervise the exams must come from another school, to ensure (amongst other things) that every school does follow the same basical program. These teachers must always work at a public/state school. Homeschooled children (or adults!) must enlist in a private or public school to be examined anyhow. Not passing the exams is no a crime, but not allowing the children to take the exams or not preparing them for the exams is.

So, if a child is in an international school and registers to take the Italian exam and fails, what happens? What if they fail every year?

They could be excellent students with high grade point averages and test very high according to their schools standardized testing but fail the Italian equivelent.

Is it enough to just take the exam every year or do they monitor results for improvement and are there consequenses?

Ok, one thing that you must be aware of is that in itlay w have something that is called "validità legale del titolo di studio". This means that the school degree is legally valid and strictly ruled. Titolo di studio is not just university degree. We have fifth grade degree, Junior high degre, high school degee and univeisity degree(s). The way these are structured differ now from the time I went to school, but the principle stays valid.
Private schools belong to two different cathegories. Officialy recognized private schools have teachers that can (have the power to) certify that the student has been studying and has acquired the objectives year's objetcives established by law. Students of those that are not must pass exams at the end of each year or two years (I don't know with the new law) an exam that covers all the subjects (not an itlaian exam and a maths exam etc.: one single exam that covers everything). The same oes for homeschooled children. The exams are not optional. If you are homeschooling a child and he does not have the exam, and you on't have a valid reason (kinda like he or she spent several months at the hospital) you are liable to be trialled for not having your child educated in any way.
Even in that case, you can't postpone the exams indefinitely! if it's not this year, it must be next year. And you can't even chose when to have the exam: itìs at the end of the schooleyear because the child will take the exam with the hidlren froma nother schol: it costs too much to form an exam commission (3-7 people working for 3-4 days) just because a child or two want to have exams in January or October. So, bascially you have to follow tohe official program and schedules.
Now, a child that falis an exam will have to repeat it the next year. Not the next month or the next semester: the next year. It's the same as failing a year at school.

Than there are the "special" exams. Each schoolchild and student has to go through several exams at the end of each school cycle, even if he or she goes to a public/state school. In my days, it was an exam at the end of the fifth grade (again, all subjects), one at the end of the thrid year of junior high school, and one at the end of the high school. These are particularly importnt in itlay because getting these degrees is essential in being allowed or not to do some jobs. For instance, you can't become a carabinieri officer if you don't have a high school degree. You may be perfectly cultured because a hard reader, but still not be allowed into the polie because your higherst point in the official school career was the junior high. Equally, you can't enter university if you don't have a high school degree (unless you are a foreigner and have a similr educational degree), and if you don't have at least a junior high school degree you can't serve as ballot officer (scrutatore) during the elections, and if you don't have a high school degree you can't serve as responsible of the ballot (presidente di seggio) or ballot secretary (segretario di seggio). And these are just a few examples. it does not matter that you have an equivlent education: if you don't have the paper sheet (friendly "pezzo di carta") to state it, you can't.

My friend tells me that most of the children at the Iranian school don't speak much Italian (all they know comes from the TV). She teaches English there but while English is compulsory Italian is not.

So would the Italian national test be administered to these kids in Persian? At the American school, French school etc are they administered in English and French? A lot of the kids at these schools only speak minimal Italian since all instruction is in English, French etc.

These kids are not getting any legally valid degrees. In any case, I know a girl who went to the gferman school here in Milano, and she had all the legally valid curricular subjects of Italian schools plus German stuff. her degree was valid, so she went to the university and got to be a lawyer. She could not have if she didn't have that degree, which only comes by following the state programs.
Also, being the exam a legal domeument, it cannot be translated, or it becomes not valid anymore.

perhaps the school rtpm is talking about does confer a valid degree...one that is valid in Iran. It may not be important nor necessary for the Iranian students to obtain an Italian degree. And although residents of Italy must have their children attend school and/or stay current with the governemtn's exam schedule....perhaps there are ways for foriegn nationals to apply for exemptions, if their children are attending an alternative school and not running wild in the streets. Perhaps it is the goal of the parents who send their children to the Iranian school in Roma to have their children educated like the Iranians.

for example: A friend of mine in college studied at an American high school in Israel. Her parents moved her to Israel when she was fifteen because of their jobs. Her degree was conferred by an American high school that the school had a partnership with. This allowed my friend (an American citizen) to attend university in the USA, with no hassle as to obtaining recognition for her diploma, for it was an American diploma.

That's what happens to most temporary residents. For instance, sons and daughters of US military (for instance) that will likely return to the US in a couple of years does not ned an Italian degree. But a child that is born in Italy by an at elast partially Italian family and is likely to spend in Italy a substantial part of his or her life might really need that valid degree. A temporary expat might prefer to homeschool his children, or have them follow an inernational school, just to have them keep up with the programs of their schoolmates in the US. A permanent expatriate, maybe with a child that is half Italian and citizen of both countries, on the other hand, might consider that the child, once grown up, might want (for instance) to live in Italy and work as a policeman/woman.
So basically one has to consider the situation case by case before deciding what's best to do.

I guess my question was also - do many Italians home school.

From what I understand, most home schooled children do follow a curriculum with lessons every day etc. So it shouldn't be too hard for a parent at home to follow this curriculum.

I know in both the US and Australia the home schooling movement has really taken off especially amongst conservative religious communities - but also amongst people who feel their children will do better in a more personal environment.

My son attended a private school here in Florida last year.

This year, because we were moving to Italy, we enrolled him in an excellent International Academy using the same curriculum his private school used – using DVDs (7th grade).

The teachers are Master teachers with degrees in their field of expertise and the school is accredited. Progress reports and all tests are sent in to be kept on file and my son receives a report card. The academic standards are extremely high in this International Academy.

Additionally, he is tested yearly by a national standardized test (IOWA or Standford Achievement) and always scores in the 90th percentile or ABOVE.

So, I guess from what Alice said, it does not matter if my son would fail the yearly tests. Our responsibility is to prepare him the best we can (this going to be fun because he is just now a beginner student of Italian) and make sure he takes the yearly test. He has no intention of continuing to study in Italy or working in Italy later.

We are basically going to Italy to take care of my 80 year-old mother-in-law. Who knows how long we will be there.

Rtpm: It seems as if home schooling is not very common at all in Italy.

Is there a website for the International Academy? I'd be interested in looking at their curriculem. Thanks.

Welcome, Anne

I sent you an email.

That's right, Carol. it's totally uncommon. Not unheard of, but uncommon. School is not just the schedule. It's a complete formative experience. Often enough, for a six years old, its the first experience of living off the family for at elast a few hours of the day, and it's the best occasion a child has to get in touch with his or her agemates. As I said, it's a formative experience indipendently from the curriculum. And the family can always add stuff to it. Read books, teach a lanauge (in the case of a multiilingual family) etc.

quote:

It's a complete formative experience.

I think this is exactly it - school is "formative". This speaks well of Italian schools - since there seems to be so little homeschooling, the "formative experience" in Italian schools must be good. I think there are many other places where parents are trying to avoid the sort of "formative experience" that is offered in the schools. And most of the homeschooled children I know get out of the house a lot and have plenty of opportunities to socialize with kids their age, etc... (violin lessons, dance class, soccer, language classes, playdates,...). I think sometimes it's a misconception that homeschooling means these kids are somehow separated from their community or their piers.

I think school is "formative" everywhere!

I think homeschooling is part of a non-conformist, individualistic and somewhat anti-state movement in other countries. Maybe it hasn't caught on yet here - but I dont think it necessarily means the education you get here is better. Certainly the foreign language education which Italian kids get is waaay worse than in other european countries. Not sure about maths etc.

As Alice said, it is uncommon, but not impossible.
Mostly is seen for kids that have "problems" generally health related problems, such as kids that can't move from home.
Here in Cortona there was a girl that for her problems couldn't leave her aseptic room at home, and the Ministero dell'istruzione gave her all appliances (computers, cam, internet to be connected with her LOCAL school, so she was at school/home in the same times.

Maybe the fact that homeschooling is not common here is in the fact that ministerial programs are THE SAME all over, including at home, so unless is necessary, why bother?

Re the Iranian school. Might it be one of those school that are done 2 3 days a week, along with the normal Italian school?
Because I don't think that it is a valid school, I mean legal, in Italy. There is one in Milan, that does the classes 3 times a week, in the afternoon AFTER the normal school. Could it be that thing?

Hi

I went to an international (european) school in Italy and we didn't follow the national curriculum as our curriculum was set by the head of the european school in Luxembourg...

I do not know about the Iranian school, but there was case well reported in media last month, about an Islamic school in Milano (the so called "via Quaranta" school), that was closed by city authorities on a double charge, that the location was not up to igienic standards, and the pupils were not following the official Italian school programs.

I am totally guessing about the Iranian school, but I want to point out that maybe the difference beetween all the foreigner schools some of you attended to and the Islamic school of the newspaper is exactly this.
Some are recognized by the government and some arent. And I find difficult and strange that an Iranian school that doesn't teach ANY Italian or doesn't follow any of the Italian programs at all is recognized by the state.