Primary schools (scuole elementare) have traditionally figured
highly in international educational studies. Attendance is
compulsory and children must be aged six by 31st December of the
year in question to enrol in primary school, which they attend
for five years. The school timetable usually involves 27 hours’
tuition per week, increasing to 30 hours in the second year to
accommodate learning a foreign language (usually English).
Provision is made for pupils with special educational needs.
Attendance is generally mornings only, with one or two afternoon
classes per week. The five-year primary cycle is divided in two
parts, the first two years concentrating on basic skills and the
final three years introducing pupils to broader concepts. A
recent innovation has been the introduction of team teaching for
some subjects, which has helped to increase the number of
teachers at primary level, although it has also contributed
indirectly to the closure of some smaller primary schools. There
are typically three teach