No Child Left ... Interested in Education

I knew that many things were going to be different in Italy. Most of all, I expected the food, the language (of course), and other cultural bits here and there. School, though, is probably the most significant difference between Italy and the United States.

The superficial disparities, such as using chalkboards as opposed to dry-erase boards, hand-writing our essays instead of typing them, and staying in the same classroom all day rather than moving around to your teachers’ rooms definitely are the first aspects that get noticed. But now, over two months into the Italian school system, I have discovered some other, more consequential differences between Italian and American high schools. For the most part, these fall under the categories of curriculum and teacher-student interaction – the combination of which makes an immense difference in the level of interest and engagement of the students.

 

[DISCLAIMER] Let me start off by saying that the following comments reflect my knowledge on two high schools – namely, Summit High School in Frisco, Colorado, USA and Liceo Scientifico Paolo Lioy in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. I am very much aware that there is no such thing as the “average” school in America or in Italy. I have also heard that a school in the southern regions of Italy is typically going to be a lot more lax on grading and procedure than their northern counterpart, where I am. To all of you who read this and are somehow involved in the education system (either in America or Italy): please do not be offended. These are my observations, and I would like to make it clear that I have no problem with the people involved in the system, but rather, the system as a whole. If you disagree with me, please provide your insight by commenting at the bottom of the page. [END DISCLAIMER]

If you ask me, the main problem with the Italian school system is that teachers do not feel the need to engage the students in their lessons, thus boring them half to death and making them lose interest in learning. For the most part, Italian schools teach facts and expect the students to learn and know them, as opposed to American schools where students learn a piece of general knowledge and then go off and do their own research to bring back to the class discussion. Memorization is a key part of Italian curriculums, while in the United States I cannot remember the last time I was required to learn anything by heart. At least to my perspective, this is not a good technique. In Italy, students generally learn (and memorize) a myriad of excerpts, dates, people, figures, formulas, and a whole bunch of other facts in order to be able to recite them back to the teacher. On the other hand, American students do not necessarily memorize information, but are trained to conduct research, discuss, and analyze information that is available. Italian high-schoolers study vigorously what is written in the book and what the teacher has said, while their American counterparts do not take as much from teachers, but rather formulate their own ideas and present them to the class. Even in our Italian literature class, instead of examining the text and analyzing in on our own, the teacher dictates her perspective while students copy down the information to then study and recite back on the test. As Albert Einstein said, “Education is what is left after you’ve forgotten everything you’ve learned”. It is nearly impossible for students to remember all the facts that are studied in high school (most of which can now be found easily with a vast array of resources), so after forgetting all of these figures and facts, students in Italy will have essentially gained nothing from their education. In America, on the other hand, we write research papers (which are pretty much unheard of in Italian high schools), present information to our classmates (also unheard of – in Italy, only teachers teach), and are taught how to hold a respectable discussion. By being trained in these unforgettable life skills, American students gain what Einstein would call an “education”.

I also believe that the lack of respect given to Italian students by the large majority of teachers comes across poorly, resulting in a further deficiency in student interest in academics. In America, it is well-regarded to have a pleasant debate with a teacher about most any relative topic, as this practice enhances the knowledge of everyone involved. In Italy, though, grades are almost entirely subjective, so if you have even the slightest disagreement with a professor, there goes your grade for the semester. I will mention that not all teachers are like that, but most are. It is my belief that without free interchange of ideas, any attempt at learning is futile, for without new ideas being formulated, there is no progress. Also, I feel that since students in the United States can generally chose what classes they want to take, they therefore make a greater effort and are more inclined to participate. Here, instead, one chooses what track they will do in their first year of high school, and take the classes laid out for them. Regarding the grades being subjective, they also tend to be skewed downward in comparison with American grades. They do go off of a 10 point scale, as opposed to our percentage, but that is beside the point. For example, a “good” student in the United States will have mainly A’s with a few B’s in the mix. Here, students rejoice upon receipt of a 7 + which translates to roughly a 76% - a solid C and not very characteristic of a “good student”. The mentality among students here is generally that of striving to get la sufficenza – or the minimum passing grade, a 6. And while grades below about 50% are next to nonexistent in the objective American system, every now and then, Italian students will receive the dreaded 2 or 3, despite answering more than 70% of the questions correctly. If you ask me, this does not push the student to try harder and study more, but rather discourages him or her (but usually him) to have the mentality of “Why study if I get a 2 either way?”.

Yes, that is a chalkboard. And a cross.

Because of these skewed grading philosophies, I usually get asked if school is easier in the United States, and I find it hard to reply. The simplest answer is “No, but it is easier to get a better grade.” This idea is completely incomprehensible to most people, since they believe that school is about getting a high grade. I try and explain that, while in Italy, students memorize everything to get their grades, we analyze and formulate ideas. Just how I am not well-adapted to the Italian system, I would be willing to say that the average Italian would not be able to do that well in the American system of essay-writing and text analysis (but would still pass the class). [I would like to give a shout-out to Mafy here, since she seems to have embraced the American school system, and is excelling at Summit High School.]  I like to use History class as a good example of the curricular differences between the American classroom and the Italian one. In America, we have a great mix of projects, movies, research papers, and activities that help us grasp historical concepts and how they relate to one another, to then be able to apply these processes in a different context. In Italy, on the other hand, the teacher stands at the chalkboard, writing down dates and names, battles and treaties, while we copy down into our notebooks to study for our interrogations. Yes, that’s right – interrogations. In every class, one of the testing methods is an oral test either alone or in a group of two or three. Do not get me wrong, I love my history class here, especially because the content is interesting and the professor really knows how to explain it very well. But I realize that in ten years, looking back, I will not remember that in 1673 the Test Act was passed in England (what we need to know in Italy), but I will remember that there was a lack of religious liberties in England in the 17^th century and that it impacted other events (what we learn in the United States).

I would really like to read your comments on this post, whether they are for or against. Remember that discussion is the best way to learn. Wait, not learn – instead “be educated”. There we go, now we won’t forget it, Also, happy Thanksgiving to all – I would be very thankful if you would click on the “Follow” link on my right sidebar so you can subscribe to my blog!