The Family School
October 29, 2012: An Italian television show examines a family of four children who are educating at home.

International Homeschooling—Watch Video from a Dozen Countries
January 2, 2012: Homeschoolers from across Europe gathered for a meaningful time of sharing experiences and learning about the homeschool laws in other countries.

Homeschool Leader Interviews
November 16, 2011: Hear about the current homeschool situations in a number of European countries, recorded at a recent European conference.

Italy: Chained to a Test
June 30, 2011: Annual testing requirements and antagonistic school officials are causing difficulty for homeschoolers in Italy.

Compulsory attendance: 6-16 (Compulsory for all children who have turned 6 before December 31)

Legal status of homeschooling: Home education is legal but not widely known in Italy. The Italian Constitution states in Articles 30 and 33 that parents have the duty and right to support, instruct, and educate their children. The Legislative Decree of 16 Apr 1994 regarding public education (DL 16/4/94 no. 297), Articles 111, 147, and 148, as well as the updated Legislative Decree of 19 Feb 2004 on primary education (DL 19/2/04 no. 59), recognize instruction in the home by families.

Article 111, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the 1994 Act state that home education is subject to the following constraints:

Parents must annually notify the appropriate school authorities of their intent to homeschool. In addition, parents or guardians must demonstrate that they have the “technical” or “economic” capacity to teach their children at home. “Technical capacity” means that the parent must have completed two full academic years of schooling beyond the level of the children he is currently teaching. “Economic capacity” simply refers to financial means. Most homeschool families self-substantiate that they meet these criteria. Though it is possible that education officials could inquire about this, few if any families have had to produce proof of technical or economic capacity.

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