Italy

When I first started reading about Italy, I thought that their education system was similar to that of the United States. The time period that the children are in school reminds me of how the Chicago Public Schools work, they start in September and end in mid or late June. I also thought it was interesting that they not only had child-centered school but also teacher-centered schools. The reason this caught my attention was because when I think of Italy, I think of Maria Montessori who created the child-centered schools that exist here in the United States. Something else that surprised me was the fact that the head teacher (direttore didattico) is responsible for when students do not come to school. In America, it is completely the responsibility of the parent or guardian to make sure that the student is in school. I wonder if this policy changes the amount of times children miss school or does it have no effect at all.