Democracy: the word democracy comes from Greek words "demos" – people – and "cratos" – power – indicating a form of government where the power is to the people that exercise it by voting.

Article 1 of the Constitution states:

Italy is a democratic republic based upon labour. The power belongs to the people, which exercise it according to constitutional forms and limits.

Moreover, the kind of democracy adopted by the Italian Constitution is a parliamentary one: people only vote for their representatives in the parliament, all the institutions derive directly from the parliament, so indirectly from the people: the President of the Republic is elected by the two Houses of Parliament in a common session; the government the majority of parliament and answers for its actions to the parliament itself.

- The student statute -

School is a community based upon discussion and the search of a social experience; applying democratic values and aiming to personal growth. Everybody in it, although with different roles, operates to guarantee the education to citizenship, the right to study, the growth of personal skills and the recovery of disadvantaged situations.

The life of the school community is based upon freedom of expression, of thought, of knowledge, and of religion, on mutual respect of all of its components, whatever their age and condition, with no distinction.

The students’ rights in the school are:

- students can be asked for their opinion about decisions which influence the school organisation to a relevant extent;

- foreign students have a right to the respect for their cultural and religious life, because school supports actions to preserve their language and culture;

- school guarantees and sets the rules for the students’ right to meet, students can use rooms inside the school for this purpose;

- students must show respect for the Headmaster, the teachers, the school employees and their fellow students, as they ask for themselves;

- nobody can be subjected to disciplinary measures without being asked to explain his or her reasons;

- the free expression of opinions shown in a right way can not be punished neither directly nor indirectly under any circumstances.

The Board of Teachers

It has the power to decide about the teaching, to approve any experimental teaching and to create specific committees for teaching needs or to the other bodies’ ones.

It must gather at least twice a year, it can be summoned by the Headmaster or by at least a third of its own members any time they ask for.

The Institute Board

It has the right of taking decisions upon general matters according to the school administrative and functional organisation. The sittings are opened to the different components of the school and can be attended, exceptionally, by the representatives of other boards, following a clear invitation by the board itself.

The students and their families must be informed of the day, hour, location and agenda of the meeting at least five days before, by means of posting on the notice board.

The board can decide to form special committees. These committees must act according to the directives of the board itself, and report to it with the results of their work for approval.

Committees must be composed by a representative of each component of the school institutions, preferably chosen among the members of the board.

Class meetings:

Class meetings are important moments to discuss the problems of each class. Class meetings have to:

- discuss methods and contents of teaching;

- formulate proposals about the teaching activity;

- express an opinion about experimental teaching;

- discuss the use of different textbooks;

- suggest different opportunities for learning trips;

- discuss behavioural and teaching problems;

- suggest support programs.

Only teachers class meetings aim to organise the teaching and testing the methods, to coordinate teaching and the final judgment.

Class meetings opened to teachers, students and relatives are summoned by the headmaster at least once per term and, extraordinarily, in response to a justified request.

Proposals made by Class Meeting constitute are point of reference for teachers in their activity.

Teachers and the elected members can intervene during a Class Meeting, but the teacher can decide to extend the right to intervene also among the others.

Class Meetings are chaired by the headmaster or by the chief teacher or by a delegate teacher.

- Student Meetings and Initiatives -

The Institute Board encourages students and parents meetings in accordance with a democratic participation.

The students who participate in a meeting can be those of the entire school, of a single course or of a single class.

Comprehensive meetings must be considered as a part of the school activity.

During this kind of meetings teaching is suspended, but students are not allowed to go out the school.

The ones who don’t participate in the meetings have to follow the ordinary lessons.

Comprehensive and course meetings will take place preferably during the first or last hours of school day.

No one from outside the school can attend the meetings, unless prior authorisation from the Headmaster.

The students themselves chair students’ meetings.

School rooms can be used by the students for their meetings also outside school time, whenever this is compatible with the needs of the evening courses, of the teachers and of the other school employees and not unless prior authorisation from the Headmaster.

Authorisation to leave class to participate in student activities can be given by the teacher and it must be reported on the class register.

The pupils must ask the Headmaster for permission to hold a comprehensive meeting in great advance, to hold a course meeting at least five days in advance and to hold a class meeting at least three days in advance, and must indicate the agenda in a written form.

During teaching staff’s meetings, in working time, lessons can be suspended, in this case families must be informed in advance.

Everybody is free to choose whether to take part or not in the meetings, those ones who don’t take part have to attend their activities as usual.

Written by : Federica Capelli, Vittoria Cichello and Andrea Mattavelli III B