An Italian student’s view on the Canadian school system

For Marta, an Italian exchange student in a Canadian public high school, changing her life and flying to the other side of the world was exciting. The biggest change was by far the school system: friendlier relationships with teachers and less homework and studying but also having less time in the afternoon because the school day lasts three hours longer than she was used to.  

“I know that going back to the Italian school is going to be hard,” she said. “My classmates are stressed for the tests, but I know that it’s going to be more challenging to be able to follow the school in Italy again and learn at the higher level.”  There are many differences between Canadian and Italian schools. Some of those differences give students a more efficient learning experience. Italian school is more challenging overall, focusing on a strict, functional approach, while Canadian schools have a more interactive learning style.  

One of the most important differences is the structural organization of the schools.  

To begin with, in the Italian school system, once a student reaches Grade 8, they choose which specific school system they want to enroll in. Students choose from schools that each specialize in a specific field, so their studies with focus on either social studies, the sciences, classics, music, economics, sports, language or art. 

All Italian students will still have ten mandatory core subjects: Italian, math, history, science (including biology, chemistry and earth sciences), physics, PE, philosophy, art history, foreign language and religion. On top of that, they take further classes in their school’s specialization. For example, a student in a human sciences school may take classes in anthropology, sociology, psychology and pedagogy. 

Overall, some students take five to six classes each day, lasting about 50 minutes each, although schools may vary schedules as needed. 

In Italy, the school day starts at 8 am and is finished at 1 pm. A school week also does not consist of a five-day week. Instead, students have school from Monday to Saturday. Each class is 50 minutes.  

One of the major differences between the Canadian and Italian school is that while Italian students may choose specializations, they do not choose the subjects after that. There are no “electives” like baking or ceramics. The classes are entirely academic.  

That heavy academic workload can be difficult for teens to handle. The amount of homework and studying that happens in and outside Italian schools causes a lot of the students to fail the year because many find it difficult to deal with such a workload.  

The method of teaching the teachers use also is very different from how Canadian teachers teach. In Italy they usually hold a presentation for the duration of a lesson, not including any interactive activities for the students or a varying type of structure in class. There are no games in the classes in Italy. Italian teachers also use a much more distant and professional manner in their behaviour and speech. In general, for people you should respect, students address teachers with “voi” which translates to a more formal version of “you”.  

Being so formal while approaching the teacher helps students learn how to act respectfully. Getting used to that was a challenge for the high schoolers at first. Silvia, an italian student in 12^th grade, who lives in Trento, said, “The first day of school, I was scared of calling teacher in an informal way and that they would have gotten mad at me, but then it just became normal.” 

Overall, the Canadian school system has multiple benefits. Students are not as stressed because of an adjustable and manageable amount of work. Complicated topics are typically introduced to Canadian students later than they would be in Italy. The lessons are structured in a way that is more interactive and keeps students interested and engaged. Students can also frequently retake a test if the grade is not sufficient, while in Italy that is not a possibility. But this makes the students more relaxed and less motivated to give their best effort, to try to improve their study methods and not as aware of the consequences to not studying, because they know that eventually they can take the test again.  

Typically, in Canada, the teachers care more about the quality of things that students learn and what experiences and values students can get out of their learning, whereas in Italy they care about the program and about the quantity of things that students must learn.  

While the Italian school system may have the academic results it aims for, it also causes a lot of anxiety problems for the students and makes going to school a rather stressful experience. 

An example is a student from an Italian school in grade 12^th, who lives in Tre-Ville, Pietro. He said, “there was a time when sleeping for me became really hard, I was always nervous and stressed and I could not fell asleep.”  

In Canada, the problem is the opposite, according to what Lorenzo, an Italian exchange student who attends high school said, “The teachers here are way more forgiving and that makes getting good grades much easier compared to the European approach”.  

International students in Burnaby and Vancouver who spoke to 8forty said that being here is relaxing compared to how they feel during the Italian school year. Andrea an Italian exchange student confirmed that “Going to school here feels more like a vacation.” Another student, Chiara, stated, “It is way more relaxing” for them compared to a stressful semester in Italy. Other exchange students share the same view, for instance Lorenzo said,“There are no real consequences for being late or not doing the work on time.”  

Another example is that Canadian teachers provide notes to students and allow them to bring them to tests as “cheat sheets” — something unheard of in Italian schools.   

All these statements from the students show that the way the school system here is set up tends to underwhelm students instead of challenging them with their learning, therefore neglecting some of the skills that they could develop at an earlier age than they are being taught to use them.  

Ultimately, it seems like Canadian schools and its core values and characteristics concentrate more on students’ personal needs and to not create stressful situations for them, even if that currently means neglecting rules and discipline. In comparison to that Italian education appears to have a stronger focus on aspects such as productivity and teaching discipline, while being willing to risk sacrificing students’ mental wellbeing but strives to prioritize the quality of their studies.  

This observation can be further supported by people like Isabella, an Italian exchange student, who said, “The school here makes me want to wake up in the morning, here I’m not scared of bad grades or strict teacher, I wish I could stay here forever.” 

Cover image: Freestock