Becoming a Secondary School Teacher in Italy
Some call the teaching profession ‘a mission’. If we consider the uncertainty that affects those who wish to pursue this path and the constantly changing recruitment rules, it truly is.
These, in particular, are very hectic days for aspiring teachers. The written and oral exams of the concorso ordinario are underway and the reopening of the graduatorie provinciali per le supplenze (GPS) is just around the corner. If you want to become a teacher in Italy, you’ll have to pass through this selection process.
Of course, in true Italian style, it’s long, complex, and inefficient. Let’s explore what you need to know, and what you need to do if you’re a foreign teacher who wants to work in Italy.
The concorso ordinario
The concorso ordinario is a public exam for aspiring teachers — even those who have no experience at all in teaching can participate. This ‘ordinary’ public exam coexists with another kind of public exam, called concorsi straordinari (extraordinary public exams) which are designed for people who have been already teaching for some years.
This year’s concorso ordinario consists of two parts: a multiple-choice test and an oral test. Those who pass both tests with the highest scores can aspire to a permanent contract in a public school.
But the luck factor here is essential. Even though the public exam is national, your chances of obtaining a permanent contract depend on a series of variables such as the region you choose, the number of vacant positions, and the number of candidates in your same region.
Here is an example. You applied to be a teacher in Molise, where only two teaching positions are vacant. Your final score is, let’s say, 87, but you come after two other candidates. They get the permanent contract, while you only obtain an abilitazione all’insegnamento, a teaching qualification, whose usefulness we will see in the next paragraph. Another candidate applies in Lombardy, where 93 positions are available. His score is 79, but it is enough for him to ‘win’ the permanent contract. However, what can also happen is that in Umbria, where 13 positions are vacant, only 9 candidates pass both tests. The remaining 4 positions will remain vacant, even though candidates from other regions would be more than happy to move there for a permanent contract. Read More...
