Editing Italy (section)

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Italy}}
[[File:Archiginnasio ora blu Bologna.jpg|thumb|[[University of Bologna|Bologna University]], established in 1088 AD, is the world's [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest university in continuous operation]].]]

Education is mandatory and free from ages six to sixteen,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Law 27 December 2007, n.296 |url=http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/06296l.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206012402/http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/06296l.htm|archive-date=6 December 2012|access-date=30 September 2012|publisher=Italian Parliament}}</ref> and consists of five stages: kindergarten, primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school, and university.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human Development Reports|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429033726/http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf|archive-date=29 April 2011|access-date=18 January 2014|publisher=Hdr.undp.org}}</ref>

Primary school lasts eight years. Students are given a basic education in Italian, English, mathematics, natural sciences, history, geography, social studies, physical education, and visual and musical arts. Secondary school lasts for five years and includes three traditional types of schools focused on different academic levels: the ''[[Secondary education in Italy#Liceo|liceo]]'' prepares students for university studies with a classical or scientific curriculum, while the ''[[Secondary education in Italy#Istituto tecnico|istituto tecnico]]'' and the ''[[Secondary education in Italy#Istituto professionale|istituto professionale]]'' prepare pupils for vocations.

In 2018, secondary education was evaluated as being below the average among [[OECD]] countries.<ref name="oecd.org">{{Cite web|title=PISA 2018 results|url=https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm|access-date=6 April 2021|website=oecd.org|archive-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203141933/https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Italy scored below the OECD average in reading and science, and near the OECD average in mathematics.<ref name="oecd.org"/> A wide gap exists between northern schools, which perform near average, and the south, which had much poorer results.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The literacy divide: territorial differences in the Italian education system|url=http://new.sis-statistica.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CO09-The-literacy-divide-territorial-differences-in-the-Italian.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117015624/http://new.sis-statistica.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CO09-The-literacy-divide-territorial-differences-in-the-Italian.pdf|archive-date=17 November 2015|access-date=16 November 2015|publisher=Parthenope University of Naples}}</ref>

Tertiary education is divided between [[List of universities in Italy|public universities]], private universities, and the prestigious and selective [[Superior Graduate Schools in Italy|superior graduate schools]], such as the [[Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa]]. 33 Italian universities were ranked among the world's top 500 in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|year=2019|title=Number of top-ranked universities by country in Europe|url=https://jakubmarian.com/number-of-top-ranked-universities-by-country-in-europe|publisher=jakubmarian.com|access-date=18 May 2019|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518113438/https://jakubmarian.com/number-of-top-ranked-universities-by-country-in-europe/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[University of Bologna|Bologna University]], founded in 1088, is the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest university]] still in operation,<ref>Nuria Sanz, Sjur Bergan: "The heritage of European universities", 2nd edition, Higher Education Series No. 7, Council of Europe, 2006. ISBN 978-92-871-6121-5. p. 136.</ref> and one of the leading academic institutions in Europe.<ref>{{Cite news|date=3 July 2017|title=Censis, la classifica delle università: Bologna ancora prima|url=http://bologna.repubblica.it/cronaca/2017/07/03/news/censis_la_classifica_delle_universita_bologna_ancora_prima-169846308|work=La Repubblica|access-date=10 September 2018|archive-date=10 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910204704/https://bologna.repubblica.it/cronaca/2017/07/03/news/censis_la_classifica_delle_universita_bologna_ancora_prima-169846308/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bocconi University]], the [[Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore]], [[Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli|LUISS]], the [[Polytechnic University of Turin]], the [[Polytechnic University of Milan]], the [[Sapienza University of Rome]], and the [[University of Milan]] are also ranked among the best.<ref>{{Cite web|year=2015|title=Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015 |url=http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2015.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030134046/http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2015.html|archive-date=30 October 2015|access-date=29 October 2015|publisher=Shanghai Ranking Consultancy}}</ref>