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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Italian schools should use their time more wisely | Italian schools should use their time more wisely |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Ewa Giacomelli has lived in Italy for 16 years and has three children: a nine-year old daughter in class four of primary school and a son and daughter in secondary school. She describes the differences between the Italian school system and that in her native Poland. | Ewa Giacomelli has lived in Italy for 16 years and has three children: a nine-year old daughter in class four of primary school and a son and daughter in secondary school. She describes the differences between the Italian school system and that in her native Poland. |
| "The biggest surprise for us was the lesson duration time in school. It's 60 minutes long here while in Poland it's 45 minutes. Also they have over three months' holiday here. On the other hand, kids have lessons up to 4pm in Italy and older kids go to school even on Saturdays. | "The biggest surprise for us was the lesson duration time in school. It's 60 minutes long here while in Poland it's 45 minutes. Also they have over three months' holiday here. On the other hand, kids have lessons up to 4pm in Italy and older kids go to school even on Saturdays. |
| "The second big difference is sport. In Poland, people fight for their children to have as much exercise as possible, four PE classes a week. Here PE classes are only organised from time to time. Also, there are no technical subject classes here. | "The second big difference is sport. In Poland, people fight for their children to have as much exercise as possible, four PE classes a week. Here PE classes are only organised from time to time. Also, there are no technical subject classes here. |
| "In Italy there is five years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school and five years of senior secondary school. There is no exam before getting into junior secondary school. Kids are registered at the schools they choose. | "In Italy there is five years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school and five years of senior secondary school. There is no exam before getting into junior secondary school. Kids are registered at the schools they choose. |
| "If there are too many candidates, additional classes are simply created. Exams are held only after junior secondary school. But in many schools these exams do not cover knowledge acquired from the last three years of school but only the last year. | "If there are too many candidates, additional classes are simply created. Exams are held only after junior secondary school. But in many schools these exams do not cover knowledge acquired from the last three years of school but only the last year. |
| "Education in primary school involves basic reading, writing and mathematics. My husband, who is Italian, thinks the level of education has been getting lower in recent years. He said that what they learn in class three of senior secondary school now is similar to what used to be taught after five years of primary school. | "Education in primary school involves basic reading, writing and mathematics. My husband, who is Italian, thinks the level of education has been getting lower in recent years. He said that what they learn in class three of senior secondary school now is similar to what used to be taught after five years of primary school. |
| "Sometimes a pupil is lucky and comes across a teacher from the older generation who wants to work and who arouses in the child the desire to acquire knowledge. | "Sometimes a pupil is lucky and comes across a teacher from the older generation who wants to work and who arouses in the child the desire to acquire knowledge. |
| "Sometimes I have the feeling that children waste their time in Italian schools. It often happens that pupils watch movies during lesson hours. It would be great if the films were connected with the topic of the lesson or if they were discussed later. But they usually serve to kill time if, for example, there is no substitute teacher. | "Sometimes I have the feeling that children waste their time in Italian schools. It often happens that pupils watch movies during lesson hours. It would be great if the films were connected with the topic of the lesson or if they were discussed later. But they usually serve to kill time if, for example, there is no substitute teacher. |
| "However, a lot of homework is given. When I look into my children's exercise books, I see the homework isn't the kind that could develop them but rather monotonous exercises. And one more difference. Here kids are given homework during vacation although I guess since vacations last almost four months they need to be given something to do, so they don't forget what they were taught." | "However, a lot of homework is given. When I look into my children's exercise books, I see the homework isn't the kind that could develop them but rather monotonous exercises. And one more difference. Here kids are given homework during vacation although I guess since vacations last almost four months they need to be given something to do, so they don't forget what they were taught." |
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