Scuola Info
- The Italian school system comprises, after the optional scuola dell'infanzia or scuola materna (infant school), three broad bands: the scuola primaria or scuola elementare (primary school), which is split into 5 classes, from class 1 to class 5; the scuola media or scuola secondaria di primo grado (middle school or lower secondary school), which lasts three years, from class 1 to class 3; and the scuola superiore (secondary school), which lasts five years, from class 1 to class 5. The first two bands are the same for everybody, while the third can be at various types of liceo (high school), of which the technical ones are called istituti tecnici, or istituti professionali (professional institutes) which train students for work and are run by the regions. The Italian school system is moving towards extending compulsory education to 18 years old.