Italy school decree language exams: what changes

TheSchool Decree(the one everyone’s been talking about these days) mainly focuses on one thing:the Italian languagemade stronger for those who arrive with difficulties, and clearer rules on certain identity-related issues at school. In practice: a 30% cap per class on foreign students with insufficient Italian (especially newly arrived students), a ban on burqa/niqab, and Italian courses for parents in certain situations. If you’re wondering “and theoral exams?”: the format doesn’t change overnight, but the context does—and therefore how it makes sense to prepare for oral questioning in class and for the maturità (the Italian secondary school leaving exam).

Here you won’t find the usual “press-release-style” summary. I’ll explain what it really means for you, who are in class every day: homework, written tests, oral questioning, oral-exam anxiety, teachers who want clear answers, and classmates who need to understand each other.

School Decree: what it provides for, who it applies to, and from when (briefly, without technicalities)

oral exam simulation: someone asks you questions, you try to answer, and then you fix your delivery, structure, and vocabulary. Formaturità preparation

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• More attention from teachers to the class “climate”: discussions, jokes, polarization. The useful thing to remember here is that you have to live in that classroom: if the conversation turns toxic, nobody benefits (and yes, you study worse).Last thing (peer to peer): don’t wait for “school to change” to start speaking better. If today you struggle with Italian in oral exams—whether you’re a native speaker or not—it’s not a fault, it’s your starting point. And the difference between a 6 and an 8 is often not “knowing more,” but being able to say it cleanly, with examples and connections. This decree, for better or worse, is saying that skill becomes even more central.At the level of exams and tests, the most intuitive “technical” consequence is that the school wants to reduce situations where it isn’t clear who you are (or where it isn’t easy to verify). If a class discussion comes up about this rule, the smartest way to engage is to stick to the facts: rules, implementation, mutual respect. The rest is noise.
• Mandatory Italian courses for parents: why they matter for your performance tooban on burqa and niqabThis part seems far away (“ok, it concerns parents, not me”). In reality it’s one of the few things that, if done well, can genuinely improve the school life of a student who’s struggling. The idea is: if a parent understands Italian, then they also understand
• and can help (or at least not hinder) the integration process.the Italian languageReal-life example: if at home nobody understands the language well, things happen like:

the parent signs school communications without understanding them (or doesn’t sign them at all);newly arrived studentsthe student becomes the “interpreter” for everything (meetings included), with insane pressure;without solid Italian, you miss out on schoolschool rules seem arbitrary because they haven’t been properly understood (lateness, justifications, leaving early, compensatory tools, etc.).

If instead school–family communication works, the opposite happens: fewer misunderstandings, more continuity, more chances to ask for help early (before grades collapse). And this ties into the decree’s stated “philosophy”:

the Italian language not as an “extra” subject, but as the foundation for not losing everything else.foreign students with insufficient language proficiencyHow does the School Decree affect my preparation for oral exams (in-class oral questioning and the maturità)?

Here we get to the part you really care about: oral questioning and oral exams don’t change just because a decree comes out, but they do change because the school pushes (even more) on the one thing that decides everything in an oral exam:

• . If it’s ever happened to you that you know the topic “in your head” but can’t say it well, you know your grade drops anyway.redistributionWith the decree’s focus on language and integration, it’s realistic to expect (over time) more attention to:
• understanding the prompt (if you get the question wrong, you can know everything but go off-topic);supportssubject-specific vocabulary (key terms in history, science, philosophy, law…);
• ability to argue: not just “definition + example,” but connections and why–how–therefore.new enrollmentsSo, if you’re thinking about

, the useful question isn’t “what changes on paper?”, but “how do I train myself to speak better?”. Here’s a mini-checklist you can use both for

• and for thematurità:
• In 20 seconds: can you say “what the topic is about” without losing the thread? (If not, your opening is missing.)

Keywords: do you have 5–7 terms you MUST use (correctly) to get a good grade? Write them down and practice weaving them in without sounding like a list.everyone’s level suffersReal example: for each concept, prepare 1 “textbook” example and 1 “real-life” example (news story, film, experience). It saves you when you blank.

Ban on burqa and niqab at school: what changes in everyday school life

This is one of those measures that online immediately turns into stadium-style cheering. Here we keep it practical: the decree provides for theIf you want the simple version: the “language” part of the decree pushes toward a school where speaking well (and understanding well) matters even more. Not because “Italian = essay,” but because without clarity you get lost in every subject. And that’s exactly what happens when, during oral questioning, you start with super-long sentences, get tangled up, and the teacher interrupts you: it’s not always meanness—often it’s that they can’t understand where you’re going.at school. In everyday terms, the issue is mainly one:If you need practical help: withStudierAI

oral exam simulation

• maturità preparationit’s also useful for building concept maps and tailored revision plans (the ones that save you from the week of “I study everything but remember nothing”). If you want to try it with no commitment, you canstart for free
• More attention from teachers to the class “climate”: discussions, jokes, polarization. The useful thing to remember here is that you have to live in that classroom: if the conversation turns toxic, nobody benefits (and yes, you study worse).

At the level of exams and tests, the most intuitive “technical” consequence is that the school wants to reduce situations where it isn’t clear who you are (or where it isn’t easy to verify). If a class discussion comes up about this rule, the smartest way to engage is to stick to the facts: rules, implementation, mutual respect. The rest is noise.

Mandatory Italian courses for parents: why they matter for your performance too

This part seems far away (“ok, it concerns parents, not me”). In reality it’s one of the few things that, if done well, can genuinely improve the school life of a student who’s struggling. The idea is: if a parent understands Italian, then they also understandcirculars (official school notices), meetings (parent–teacher conferences), homework, assessmentsand can help (or at least not hinder) the integration process.

Real-life example: if at home nobody understands the language well, things happen like:

• the parent signs school communications without understanding them (or doesn’t sign them at all);
• the student becomes the “interpreter” for everything (meetings included), with insane pressure;
• school rules seem arbitrary because they haven’t been properly understood (lateness, justifications, leaving early, compensatory tools, etc.).

If instead school–family communication works, the opposite happens: fewer misunderstandings, more continuity, more chances to ask for help early (before grades collapse). And this ties into the decree’s stated “philosophy”:the Italian languagethe Italian language not as an “extra” subject, but as the foundation for not losing everything else.

How does the School Decree affect my preparation for oral exams (in-class oral questioning and the maturità)?

Here we get to the part you really care about: oral questioning and oral exams don’t change just because a decree comes out, but they do change because the school pushes (even more) on the one thing that decides everything in an oral exam:how you use Italian when you speak. If it’s ever happened to you that you know the topic “in your head” but can’t say it well, you know your grade drops anyway.

With the decree’s focus on language and integration, it’s realistic to expect (over time) more attention to:

• understanding the prompt (if you get the question wrong, you can know everything but go off-topic);
• subject-specific vocabulary (key terms in history, science, philosophy, law…);
• ability to argue: not just “definition + example,” but connections and why–how–therefore.

So, if you’re thinking aboutexam preparation, the useful question isn’t “what changes on paper?”, but “how do I train myself to speak better?”. Here’s a mini-checklist you can use both forin-class oral questioningand for thematurità:

• In 20 seconds: can you say “what the topic is about” without losing the thread? (If not, your opening is missing.)
• Keywords: do you have 5–7 terms you MUST use (correctly) to get a good grade? Write them down and practice weaving them in without sounding like a list.
• Real example: for each concept, prepare 1 “textbook” example and 1 “real-life” example (news story, film, experience). It saves you when you blank.
• Connections: choose 2 bridges to other topics (“this connects to… because…”). In oral exams the teacher often leads you there.
• Voice training: do 1 timed run (3–4 minutes) without reading. If you get stuck, mark where and restart: it’s a muscle, not “talent.”

If you want the simple version: the “language” part of the decree pushes toward a school where speaking well (and understanding well) matters even more. Not because “Italian = essay,” but because without clarity you get lost in every subject. And that’s exactly what happens when, during oral questioning, you start with super-long sentences, get tangled up, and the teacher interrupts you: it’s not always meanness—often it’s that they can’t understand where you’re going.

If you need practical help: withStudierAIyou can practice with anoral exam simulation: someone asks you questions, you try to answer, and then you fix your delivery, structure, and vocabulary. Formaturità preparationit’s also useful for building concept maps and tailored revision plans (the ones that save you from the week of “I study everything but remember nothing”). If you want to try it with no commitment, you canstart for free.

Last thing (peer to peer): don’t wait for “school to change” to start speaking better. If today you struggle with Italian in oral exams—whether you’re a native speaker or not—it’s not a fault, it’s your starting point. And the difference between a 6 and an 8 is often not “knowing more,” but being able to say it cleanly, with examples and connections. This decree, for better or worse, is saying that skill becomes even more central.