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SOME FIGURES ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
• Founded in 1975.
• At present (2006) there are 1308 students
altogether in head school and branch school.
• About 130 staff, teachers and administration
• 1 Headmaster.
• Laboratories: computer, language, science.
Governing body
• Board of Directors : Headmaster, parents’representatives,
teachers’representatives,
staff’s representatives, students’representatives.
• Teachers’ committee.
• Parent-teacher class committee.
• Teachers with special tasks.
ESSENTIALS
STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Age of students : 14 / 19.
Biennio
first year part of national compulsory education.
Compulsory subjects : Italian, Latin, History
Foreign languages, Maths,Science, Art, P.E. ,
Religion (optional).
Triennio
Compulsory subjects : Italian, Latin, History,Philosophy,
Foreign languages, Maths, Physics,
Science, Art, P.E.,Religion (optional).
Our curricola
• Liceo Cattaneo students are required to take all
subjects for graduation.
An example of curriculum is as follow.
Subject: English.
• The emphasis is on reading, writing, speaking and
listening. The four skills are developed according
to the Common European Framework of Reference A1,
A2, B1, B2.
• Course books are designed to present contexts of
authentic language in the form of dialogues,
passages etc.
Topics include sports,travel,weather,school
activities,entertainment etc. Methodology fulfils
the communicative
goals of language learning. Grammar is often taught
in a comparative way to highlight the differences
with the mother tongue.
• Literature is presented as a way of developing
both cultural knowledge and specific language.
• Extensive practice is always checked by the
teachers.
Visual aids such as films, videos and regular
attendance of language lab is an essential part of
the
educational strategy.
Curricular tracks
• Ordinary hours per week : 26 to 30.
• Computer Science hours per week : 29 to 32.
• Science-oriented hours per week : 29 to 31.
• Bilingual hours per week : 30 to 32.
Criteria of evaluation
The board of teachers yearly define the following
steps:
1) Teachers' self-evaluating actions with regard to
general objectives and minimum class requirements.
2) Definition of textbooks value scale.
3) Assessment tests:
a) Entry tests to know the class level of competence
in each subject.
b) Achievement tests set to see how well students
master a specific area of the syllabus.
c) Diagnostic tests set to indicate particular areas
of strength and weakness.
The analysis which follows brings to activate
remedial group courses or "in itinere" class courses.
Marks are given in 10/10 (full marks in annual
school reports) while the school leaving certificate
is in 100th.
Final achievements
Certificate of Secondary Education.
At the end of the fifth year, students take a State
Examination assessing their written and oral
competence
in all subjects.
They are also expected to prepare a personal
research about a cross-curricular subject.
Admission to University is subjected to an entry
test in almost all faculties.
Extra-curricular courses
• ECDL :European Computer Driving Licence.
• Foreign languages : German, Spanish, Russian.
• University of Cambridge exams: PET, FIRST.
• DELF exams
• Drama, cinema.
• Sports sessions, first aid courses.
• School-job interaction : enterprise workshops,
Stages in Italy and
abroad.
PROJECTS
• Educational guidance
• Health and handicap
• School twinnings
• International partnerships
• Library and cultural activities.
• Remedial courses for unsuccessful students
• Maths and Physics enhancements.
• Interaction with University
Secondary school reform
• The Secondary School Reform hasn’t passed yet,
because the bill didn’t win the approval of various
political
parties and teachers’ unions.
• It revolves around the following innovative points:
• 1)Rise of compulsory school attendance (from 16 to
18).
• 2) flexible school system with open classes as it
is in most European countries.
• 3) larger awareness of the learners’needs to be
successful at school and later in the working world
in terms of technological equipment, language
competence etc…
• The fourth point, which concerns the alternation
school/job and in short eliminates the vocational
institutes, is controversial because it seems to be
far from an effective and functional putting into
practice.
• Apart from the last point which contains some
ambiguities, we look ahead to the reform: it puts an
end to a lot of work which is already being done
indeed with extracurricular offers and better
exploits human resources that are now underestimated.
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