If you could study anything, what would it be?

Here's an interesting fact about schools in Italy:

There are 3 types of schools in Italy. Elementare (elementary), scola media (middle school) and scuola superiore (high school US or secondary school UK). The first two teach all the usual subjects from English and Spanish to Maths and Science etc. There are 5 years in elementare and 3 years in scuola media. The third year (or terza) means that students have to sit the "Terza Media" exam. This gives them the pathway into suola superiore. 

Now, here's where it gets interesting. High schools in Italy are divided into categories depending on the path your child wants to study for their future. This is something I really like about the Italian system. 

Each high school is tailored to 3 specific types. Here are some examples.

Liceo or lyceum (5 years of study)

• Liceo artistico - art and design.
• Liceo linguistico - modern foreign languages.
• Liceo scientifico - sciences, technology and maths.
• Liceo classico - humanities, also focusing on ancient Greek and Latin.
• Liceo delle scienze umane - human sciences, a place where students may train towards becoming teachers.
• Liceo musicale e coreutico - music, dance and choreography, normally affiliated with a conservatory.

Istituto tecnico or technical institute (5 years of study)

• Istituto tecnico tecnologico - focuses on IT, electronics, chemical industry etc.
• Istituto tecnico tourismo - economics, business studies, modern foreign languages.

Istituto professionale or professional institute (3 years of study)

• This is a vocational type of school in which students may enter specifically to train as a chef, to study agriculture or perhaps handicrafts and other vocational subjects. The aim is to train students ready to enter the workplace and at the end of school, students usually have a job ready to begin.

Generally speaking, a liceo is more difficult, somewhat like a grammar school but you don't need to pass a test to enrol. The terza media exam gives you the opportunity to choose with type of school you want to attend. 

I look at this model and think it would be great to have such a focus on inspiring kids. I don't think I ever had any support at school when it came to deciding my career path. We once met with the careers advisor who wasn't particularly engaging. I left feeling the same as I went in; absolutely no idea about what I wanted to do. 

And then, our school introduced us to the Morrisby profiling... 

The Morrisby Profile is a timed cognitive aptitude test. That means "skills of the mind" (not intelligence). We were presented with a fancy faux leather burgundy folder with the results. Mine? It recommended I join the army. I still have my profile somewhere at home. Sometimes I look at it and enjoy a good giggle.

I think some sort of reformation to include these types of high schools in the UK would be so refreshing. It would mean kids would actually have to think about the type of things they want to learn about and this in turn would give them more focus and direction towards building a future destined for something special. There is currently no inspiration for kids; the government regards children in the UK as statistics and nothing more. As an outsider, I see the country moving backwards. It's like a car crash in slow motion. I wonder if instead of reforming the curriculum, reforming the entire institution would be the change the UK so desperately needs. 

Food for thought? Leave some comments. Let's talk about it.