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Istituto tecnico per le attività sociali (literally Technical institute for social activities) has been a type of secondary school in Italy.
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This specialized institute has contributed, in Italy and in Switzerland, to the professional and technical training of executive and senior staff in the economic sector of services, with particular regard to the link between management, law, economy and social sciences.
History
It was founded in 1931, reformed in the fifties, sixties, and in 1998. After the 2010 Gelmini reform, because of its area of interest, it was merged with the Technical-Economic Institute with specialisation in Administration, Finance and Marketing, while some of its higher specialisations were directly moved to the university education. Students could attend the istituto tecnico per le attività sociali after successfully completing middle school (scuola media), and were enabled to progress to any university institution.
In 2012, according to a study conducted in four regions of Italy by the business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore and the Agnelli Foundation, a number of Istituti tecnici per le attività sociali were between the best secondary schools in terms of quality in Lombardia, Emilia Romagna and Calabria.
Structure
The curriculum is devised by the Ministry of Education, and emphasises the link between management, law economy and social sciences.
After a common biennium, the course was divided into three specializing paths:
The education given offers both a wide theoretical education and an accurate specialization in a field of studies (management, administration, law, humanities), often integrated with a six months internship in a company, association or university, during the fifth and last year of study.
Students are required to study for five years, and attend the school from the age of 14 to 19. At the end of the fifth year all students sit for the maturità, a wide final examination which gave access to every university course. The degree given at the end of the main path is a high school diploma with a specialization in social science and management (it. "Diploma di istruzione secondaria superiore ad indirizzo tecnico attività sociali, specializzazione dirigenti di comunità", translated as "High School Diploma in Social Sciences and Management").