The most feared period for all the Italian students of the last year is about to begin. For almost 500 thousand secondary school children this evening will not be just the famous song "night before the exams" by Antonello Venditti. Wednesday 20 June we start therefore with the theme of Italian, 21 June, the second proof, greco at the high school, mathematics to the scientific institute, foreign language 1 at at the high schools. After a short break, on 25 June enters the "quizzone" better known as the third proof and then off to oral, whose calendar is determined by individual boards.
But when was the legendary "maturity" born?
The maturity examination is born with the reform introduced in 1923 by Giovanni Gentile, Italian politician and academic, leading figure of Italian fascism and Mussolini's first cabinet as Minister of education in the young. Almost surely students of the era they had life much harder than those of today, the examination in fact foresaw four written tests and oral evidence was not only on the program last year but on the program of the entire College.
Over the years a lot of changes, in 1997 Berlinguer changes everything beginning with the name that becomes "Esame di Stato", introduces new for school credit and written tests become 3. The latest changes in 2008 with the Minister Gelmini which provides for the admission to the exam only with passing grades in all subjects.
The exam in percentages
Good news for all those who are going to support the first major tests of life is that, looking at the percentages of promoted and failed, it appears that the bar has become progressively easier. It has gone from 72% to 99.5% of the school year 1960 promoted to 2015/16.
News of next year
From 2019 with the novelties introduced by the "good school" are provided only two written tests: Italian and proof of address; quicker process should shorten by a seventh review and make available for the beginning of July the boards with the final evaluations. More weight will be given to the educational background that within 100 endpoints will be well-40.
Finally, like every year, watch out for the fake news. Millions of students will spend this night on the network in the hope of discovering a few hours ahead of the first race tracks but the best suggestion is always "KEEP CALM and confident in your means".
Good luck to all high school leaving exam candidate 2018!