PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia• Technical Institutes offer different courses such as commercial, industrial,building construction, tourism, agriculture, social activities, nautical, andaeronautics; and• Vocational Schools have agriculture, environment, industries, andhandicraft services.The course of studies in lycées and technical schools are 5 years, and students musttake a state examination to receive a secondary school diploma. Vocational school coursesare divided into two cycles: a 3-year qualification cycle and a subsequent 2-year course.After examinations at the end of the 3-year cycle, students obtain a qualification certificatethat permits them to apply for employment. Students then may choose to attend the2-year post-qualification cycle to obtain a secondary school diploma after taking thestate examination.Higher educational institutions such as universities and academies are authorized toestablish their own curriculum within the limits and respect of state legislation. All typesof secondary school diplomas provide access to university studies, although the numberof accepted students is limited.There also is post-secondary school training planned by regional governments toprovide highly specialized professionals. This consists of a second level qualification andintegrated courses established by the Istruzione e Formazione Tecnica Superiore andcarried out by school institutions, training agencies, universities, and firms.Role of Preprimary EducationPreprimary education, reformed in 2003, involves about 1,655,000 students in stateand private schools. Preprimary education is responsible for the overall education ofchildren ages 3–6, and respects their gradual development and recognizes the social andeconomic barriers they face. It is conceived as an educational environment where thechild develops his or her own personality through practical activities, experiences, andreflective learning. Preprimary schools’ main goals are to strengthen personal identity anddevelop autonomy and competencies through the consolidation of sensorial, perceptive,movement, social, and linguistic abilities of children in order to facilitate their passageto primary school. Lessons are organized into modules, and the hours spent each yeardiffer according to children’s needs.Reading Curriculum in the Primary GradesReading PolicyAt the meeting held in Lisbon in March 2000, the Council of Europe established thestrategic objective of creating “…an economy based on knowledge, more competitiveand dynamic worldwide, capable of sustaining a growing economy, providing new andbetter employment and major social cohesion” for the European Union. 5 Consequently,the Council of Europe agreed upon a global strategy to reach this objective that includesthe promotion of scientific research, education, and professional training. The 26 countrymembers of the European Union, including Italy, that took part in this study, definedItalyTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 213