Italian curriculum: A parent's guide

Curriculum guide

Italian curriculum

Italian international schools follow the Ministero dell'Istruzione curriculum, ending with the Esame di Stato (Maturità) at 18–19. The system is known for depth in the humanities, classical languages at the liceo classico, and strong maths & sciences at the liceo scientifico.

Ages 3–6

Scuola dell'Infanzia

Preschool education, play-based with early language and socialisation.

Ages 6–14

Scuola Primaria & Secondaria di primo grado

Five years of primary followed by three years of middle school. Culminates in the Esame di terza media — the middle-school leaving exam.

Ages 14–19

Liceo / Esame di Stato

Five-year upper secondary in one of several tracks — liceo classico (classical), scientifico (sciences), linguistico (languages) and others. Ends with the Maturità.

Italian

Choosing a liceo track

The choice of liceo shapes the child's academic profile from age 14. Classico is Latin- and philosophy-heavy; scientifico is maths/science-strong; linguistico focuses on three modern languages; artistico specialises in visual and applied arts. Universities in Italy are generally track-agnostic at admission.

Is Italian right for your child?

It tends to suit families who…

•Have Italian connections or are moving to Italy
•Value humanities depth and classical education
•Are targeting Italian or European universities

It may be less ideal if…

•Your child has no Italian and is joining at secondary
•You'd prefer a broad senior programme like IB
•The five-year liceo commitment feels inflexible

Common questions

FAQs about the Italian curriculum

Is the Maturità accepted internationally? +

Yes. UK universities usually cite a specific overall grade out of 100 (e.g. 85+ for competitive courses); US universities treat it as equivalent to a strong high school diploma with subject depth.

Can non-Italian speakers attend? +

Younger children adapt quickly with school support. Secondary entry without Italian is genuinely difficult because the philosophical and literary content is language-heavy.

Find schools

Schools teaching Italian on doris

Italian in Italy (3)Italian in Colombia (1)Italian in Spain (1)Italian in United Arab Emirates (1)