School reforms for the lower and upper grades in South Tyrol

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The schools in South Tyrol have loud Statute of Autonomy of 1972 state character. That is why they essentially correspond in their basic orientation to elementary , middle and high schools in other parts of Italy . In order to meet the requirements of a constantly changing society, the school was reformed as part of the South Tyrolean educational autonomy on the basis of state legislation and adapted to the new needs of the students.

Reforms of the lower level

In the primary school sector, state law No. 25 of December 7, 1993 adopted the state reform. Team lessons, new forms of learning and a new regulation of assessment were among the innovations within the framework of South Tyrol's educational autonomy. South Tyrol also became active very early on in the field of curricula - at least in the compulsory school sector: Provincial law no. 48/1983 introduced its own curricula for middle school and law no. 64/1988 those for elementary school.

It took another 20 years before all school areas were fundamentally reformed. After years of preparatory work, trials, strikes and disputes with associations and unions, state law No. 5 “General educational goals and regulations for kindergartens and lower grades” came into force on July 16, 2008, probably the most important education law of recent decades. The law defines the general principles of the country's education system and introduces fundamental innovations that clearly differ from state requirements. This law provides for a flexible curriculum in elementary and secondary schools with compulsory elective and elective areas, the introduction of instruments for learning advice and orientation and the documentation of learning paths. Autonomy in the kindergarten was also introduced, the legal basis for curricula and assessment is set and the teaching time is reorganized.

To complete the reform of the lower level, the framework guidelines - the new designation for curricula - for German-speaking kindergartens were amended by resolution no.3990 of November 3, 2008, and the framework guidelines for defining the curricula for the Primary and middle schools with German as the language of instruction approved. Resolution no. 2485 of October 12, 2009 finally also regulated the assessment in the lower level - for which South Tyrol only has secondary authority - new and common for all three language groups, whereby the state guidelines were adhered to more closely. The innovations also included the introduction of English from the fourth (from 2006) and the second language from the first grade of primary school.

Reforms of the upper school

The state high schools, the basic structure of which dates back to the 1920s and 1930s, were the last area of ​​education to be comprehensively reformed. State law no. 11 of September 24, 2011 "The upper level of the state's education system" restructured the vocational and secondary schools: In the German area, the previous educational institutions, which had always had a strong vocational character, were abolished and partially rebuilt in vocational training . Structurally and in terms of content, they did not set themselves apart from the state, but went their own way with the introduction of an elective area, with country focal points, with the obligation to provide learning advice and documentation of learning paths and some special regulations for the assessment.

Resolution No. 1020 of July 4, 2011 laid down the basis for the assessment in the secondary schools and Resolution No. 2040 of December 13, 2010 approved the state's framework guidelines for German-speaking secondary schools - with the exception of those for the final stages of technical secondary schools, which had been approved by Decision No. 533 of April 10, 2012.

The innovations also include the introduction of English from the fourth (from 2006) and the second language from the first grade of primary school.

All areas of secondary legislative power according to Art. 9, Paragraph 2 of the 1972 Statute of Autonomy, which are simply described as "teaching in primary and secondary schools", have been reformed after forty years with their own provincial provisions and adapted to South Tyrolean needs.

School autonomy

With the so-called Bassanini Law (No. 59/1997) , the state delegated a whole range of tasks and competencies to the regions and local authorities and reformed public administration. The Federalism Act set new priorities: less centralism and more responsibility and competences for the peripheral organs of the state. Delegation and deregulation were the key words. An article has been incorporated into this law, which grants the public schools extensive autonomy. The schools should be given legal personality and be able to act completely independently in many areas.

With Law No. 12 of June 29, 2000, the state introduced this autonomy for schools in South Tyrol. The schools were given autonomy in the areas of didactics, organization, research, school development, administration and finance. With effect from September 1, 2000, all public schools in the state were granted legal personality. They thus became legal persons under public law. With state law No. 5/2008 this autonomy was extended to the kindergartens.

The comprehensive law contains criteria for school sizes, the fundamentals of the school program and curricula, defines and describes the content of didactic and organizational autonomy as well as that of research and school development, introduces the school associations, defines criteria for the expansion of the educational offer and determines the priorities administrative and financial autonomy. While the country has adopted the principles of the State Autonomy Act in most areas and given schools essentially the same competencies, it has kept a number of competencies to itself in the area of ​​administrative autonomy. This law also reorganized the role and powers of school management staff, introduced the control bodies for the review of financial management, established criteria for the target state plan and the evaluation system, and finally defined basic provisions for the school calendar.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://www.schule.suedtirol.it/lasis/documents/info/2013/online/03/ , p. 36
  2. ↑ http://www.provinz.bz.it/schulamt/schulrecht/381.asp
  3. ↑ http://www.provincia.bz.it/schulamt/upload/Rahmenlinien/RRL_Gymnasien/RRL%20Gymnasieen.html ; http://www.provincia.bz.it/schulamt/upload/Rahmenbedingungen/RRL_Fachoberschulen/RRL_Fachoberschulen.html ;
  4. ↑ http://www.schule.suedtirol.it/lasis/documents/info/2013/online/03/ , p. 36 f .; http://www.provinz.bz.it/schulamt/schulrecht/autonomie-schulen.asp