[ENG] What I Think About the Italian Education System

12 Nov, 2025

From the first day I spent within those school walls, I built up a reflection that I still carry with me today something I’m deeply convinced of.
I’ve never really had the chance to talk about it with anyone, mostly because I’m surrounded by people with whom it’s hard to get into these kinds of topics not out of ignorance or anything like that, it’s just… the opportunity never really comes up.

My school years were a pretty complicated chapter of my life, especially on a behavioral level, and I can honestly say they left me with more than a few scars. So I’d like to share a few thoughts about what I think of the Italian school system based on my personal experience, of course. Everyone’s story is different, and that’s exactly why I think it’s worth talking about.

PS: I know many of you reading this aren’t from Italy, and your school systems are probably very different from ours. But maybe that’s what makes it interesting seeing how things work on the other side of the world. So if you feel like sharing your story or thoughts about this, I’d really love to read them. You can send me an email at delducathomas04@gmail.com I’ll be happy to listen.
Now, let’s get into it. <3

My Relationship with School and How I Experienced It

My memories of kindergarten and the first few years of elementary school are pretty blurry, except for one episode I’ll never forget.
One day at preschool, being the huge Ben 10 fan I was, I threw myself on the floor pretending to fall just because I’d seen Ben do that before turning into the red four-armed monster (no idea what it’s called in English lol).
Anyway, silly stuff aside, those early years were carefree something that didn’t last long.

From the very first years of elementary school, I started feeling uneasy with myself, with studying, with the whole “school thing.”
I remember having no motivation to do even the simplest homework, like coloring little boxes for units, tens, and hundreds with cheap crayons on photocopied sheets glued together with the cheapest stick glue imaginable.
I remember the stomach ache that hit me every morning before class, the fear and anxiety when the Italian teacher walked in Mrs. Scorpioni. I still dream about her sometimes. If I see her on the street, I swear I change direction. That woman was one of the biggest traumas of my childhood.

So yeah, my elementary years weren’t exactly smooth sailing. Between being scolded, having a support teacher following me, and struggling with homework, I eventually moved on to middle school...
Even now, I still carry both good and painful memories ones I usually try to avoid thinking about.
But I want to focus not so much on my story itself, but on the general issues I noticed as a student. I’ll skip high school for a moment those years were mostly quiet, spent sitting silently behind a desk but I’ll get back to it later.

What I Think (Just My Personal Opinion)

(Everything that follows is based only on my personal experience. Nothing “official,” of course and definitely not the same for everyone.)

• Teachers are too influenced by the previous ones.
  What elementary teachers wrote in my records really affected how my middle school and later high school teachers saw me.
  I think each stage elementary, middle, and high school should be more independent, like university.
  At uni, no one cares about your past grades or behavior. You’re just yourself if you study, you pass. If not, you repeat. Simple.
  (Of course, I’m not saying the methods should be like university just that the “curriculum baggage” shouldn’t carry over.)

• Once you make one mistake, you’re labeled for good.
  During middle and high school, I noticed how easily teachers would label you after a single mistake.
  If you mess up once, even on a bad day, you might find yourself treated differently for the rest of the year singled out in class, picked on with random questions, just to “keep you focused.”
  Honestly, after the second or third time, you just tune out. It stops being about learning and starts feeling personal.

• If you’re quiet or not social, people treat you like you’re dumb.
  From what I’ve seen, silent or introverted students are often underestimated.
  Like when people talk to a cat using baby talk just because it doesn’t “respond.”
  I’ve seen brilliant minds get ignored just because they didn’t participate much in class discussions.
  I went through that myself in high school probably also because of my “behavior file” from middle school. I was often made fun of or looked down on just for being quiet.
  Sometimes, people just need to be left alone. That’s it.

• People think school should shape who you are.
  One of the biggest misconceptions, in my opinion, is that school is supposed to “mold” your behavior or personality.
  Sorry, but most of the social problems we have today come from that same school system.
  Kids act “tough” just to survive in an environment that’s often toxic where being smart or kind can get you bullied or used.
  Many stop wanting to go to school because for them, it’s just daily stress the fear of being teased, mocked, or turned into someone’s free homework machine.

These are just a few of the things I’ve noticed I could go on for hours, but I don’t want to turn this post into an endless rant.

Should School Shape You Emotionally?

Here’s my take on emotional education at school:
I don’t want to delegate my empathy or moral compass to the state.
Empathy isn’t something you learn in class it’s something you build through experience, through real people and real examples.

The meaning of life, to me, is found in dedication to others.
You don’t fix yourself through state-run “moral education.” You can be lazy, flawed, or selfish but if you actually help the people around you, you give meaning to your life, no matter what others think.

I believe school should exist for knowledge and social growth, not for teaching morality or emotional lessons.
Creating state-controlled “ethics courses” is dangerous because when leadership changes, that same system can easily be used against those who think differently.
Art and creativity belong to the world of dreams putting moral limits on them is, in my opinion, a risky move.

Personal experience matters most.
When you’re surrounded by the right people people you can trust and talk to you grow emotionally without needing specialists or institutions.
Real examples, trust, and mutual care shape who we are much more than any structured lesson ever could.

A Few Words Before I Close

This post might be boring for some, but I really needed to say what I think even if nobody asked.
Before I wrap it up, I want to dedicate a few words to a very special person I had the privilege to meet during my school years.

Prof. Galli,
I’m writing directly to you to say something I never told you but that you truly deserve to hear.
I remember perfectly the way you looked at me during class the joy in your eyes when you realized that, as difficult as I was to handle, you were actually making progress.
That the boy who seemed so lost, fragile, and messy written off by many as hopeless was just hiding behind a mask he had worn for years.

I’ve never had such a deep connection with an adult before. I think about you very often; I thought about you while making some of the biggest choices of my life.
Without you, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I wouldn’t have discovered the literature that shaped me, or developed the passion for writing that now follows me like a loyal friend.
My bookshelf wouldn’t be full, and my love for language and culture wouldn’t be what it is.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for those three years that felt like a lifetime the years in which I met the worst parts of myself, and finally let them go.

I hope that every young person who wants to become a teacher someday turns out like you someone who inspires others to discover themselves beyond the classroom, to become the best version of who they are, and to build a more creative, beautiful world.

I’ll tell my future kids about you, hoping they’ll get to meet you one day.

Thank you,
Thomas

Just a quick reminder at the bottom of the page there’s a little button with two arrows pointing up.
If you click it, you’ll be doing me a huge favor <3

Thanks again, everyone 🫶🏻

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