Liceo delle Scienze Umane "A. Sanvitale"

 WHO WE ARE...

Our Liceo delle Scienze Umane "Albertina Sanvitale" is one of Parma's best known upper secondary schools (high school). It consists of two basic sections (courses).

The first one is "Liceo delle Scienze Umane" (LSU), and it is characterized by subjects like Human Sciences including Pedagogy, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology and Social Research (Statistics).  Maths lessons also include Informatics and Computer Science. English is the only foreign language included in the school curriculum.   

The second one is called "Opzione Economico-sociale" (OPES) and its characterizing subjects are Law, Economics and Finance, besides Human Sciences.  Maths lessons also  include Informatics and Computer Science. In addition, the school curriculum includes two foreign languages: English and French or Spanish. Any other foreign language course could be started with a minimum of 20 requests (as part of the official school curriculum).   

After five years the students get a "diploma" of secondary education, allowing them admission to any University course (department) or any other course of higher education. The students can also be employed in agencies, cooperative associations, groups and organizations that are active in the field of welfare services to children (youth workers), youths, as well as old and disabled people.    

Our "Liceo delle Scienze Umane" is characterized by the particular care for  teaching/learning processes,  the students as individuals with ever-changing needs and personal inspirations and the direct and close cooperation with the students' families.  

In addition, (starting from the third year) the students are also given a unique possibility of  participating in specific training courses and of putting their skills into practice either for a whole week  during the school year (stage) or during the summer months (alternanza scuola-lavoro).

Several other extra-curricular projects or activities are included in our "Piano dell'Offerta Formativa" (educational projects). 

In the last few years the number of students in our school has considerably increased, which can be considered a clear sign that our school curricula and projects are currently meeting the educational needs of a new generation of students. 

A few data referring to our school: number of students during the current school year 910, teachers n. 70, other school staff members n. 18.

The teachers and staff in our school are deeply convinced that the role of state education ("free public education" in Italy) is still fundamental for the fostering of high-quality teaching-learning processes, which are extremely necessary to the new generation of students, to develop skills and better define their identity, as well as to the territory and its population at large. 

John Dewey defined school as a fundamental, efficacious means to promote social progress and reform, so each teacher's task is not only that of educating individuals, but also "forming" the most suitable social life.
 We clearly believe that Dewey's words stress the close relationship between school and society and that they best sum up our "pedagogic creed": we are exploring  and experiencing new educational, cultural, citizen-oriented horizons to create a better future for everyone. 
  

HISTORICAL NEWS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

The  identity of our Liceo delle Scienze Umane "A. Sanvitale" in Parma has been defined through a long process of traditions and innovations; as a matter of fact, there has always been a close connection between the historical past of this institution and the modernity of ever-changing times.  

In 1864 the old "Convitto Femminile" of San Paolo in Parma (a sort of boarding school for female students) merged into the "Scuola Normale Femminile", a special school for the training of elementary school teachers. In 1923 the "Riforma Gentile" (Gentile's Education Act) officially started the so-called "Istituto Magistrale", in which elementary school teachers were trained and finally they received a school diploma that automatically admitted them to the teaching profession without any further exams. This situation lasted for many years in the history of Italy.

However, during the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to new cultural and educational innovations, the  "Istituto Magistrale" changed into a "Liceo", from a four-year to a five-year school curriculum.
Thus our Liceo delle Scienze Umane is a five-year secondary school with two different sections: Liceo delle Scienze Umane and Opzione Economico-Sociale.

SCHOOL CURRICULA

Human Sciences course (LSU)

Students are educated and trained with the specific purpose of developing skills that can be applied to educational processes/methods (schools), communication strategies, social relationships (in the form of welfare services to old people, disabled people, children and youths and any other needy people), while developing a more definite personal identity (intercultural exchanges).  

The students are allowed to learn the specific language and techniques of Human Sciences,  a foreign language as well as several scientific subjects. 

This course is particularly suited to those students who:

- feel interested in psychological and social issues;
- feel interested in educational processes and human relationships;
- feel interested in the close connection between liberal subjects (humanities) and scientific subjects.

Weekly school timetable

    * Psychology. Pedagogy, Anthropology, Sociology

    ** with Computer Science in the first two years 

  ***Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology (Scienze della Terra)

Socio-economics course (OPES)

Students are educated and trained for the purpose of applying their specific skills in the interpretation of social, cultural, economic phenomena (with a particular reference to the management of agencies, associations, organizations and other institutions that are involved in welfare services/social care), communication strategies and legal, financial issues.

In addition, two foreign languages and several scientific subjects as an integral part of the official school curriculum allow students to become more European-oriented and cope with the complexities of contemporary society as a whole.

This course is particularly suited to those students who: 

- are interested in socio-cultural phenomena and issues;
- are interested in all those activities related to the complexities of communication strategies, intercultural relationships, welfare services;
- are interested in the close connection between Human Sciences and Legal/Financial issues;
- are interested in learning two foreign languages and cultures and want to feel part of a more and more European-oriented country (e.g. certification of skills based on the Common European Framework of Reference)

Weekly school timetable

    *Psychology, Research Methodology, Anthropology, Sociology
    ** with Computer Science in the first two years 

  ***Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology (Scienze della Terra)

 
WHERE WE ARE...

Head office
Our head office is situated very near the city centre in Piazzale San Sepolcro n. 3. Buses number  3, 4, 5, 8 stop just in front of school. Bus number 8 takes students directly to and from  Parma railway station.

Branch office
A few classes are located in Borgo San Giuseppe n. 13, one of the oldest parts of the city. Buses n. 1, 6, 20 stop nearby.

CONTACTS

Liceo delle Scienze Umane "A. Sanvitale"
Piazzale San Sepolcro, 3 - 43123 Parma
tel. 0521 283176 -  fax. 0521 230641
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A FEW PIECES OF INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TOWN...

Parma is a large town with a population of about 170,000 inhabitants. It can boast an efficient/convenient good network of means of transport, from city buses, buses reaching  the surrounding areas, to a railway station and a local airport with flights to and from Rome, Sardinia, Sicily, Paris Beauvais and London Stansted.  Major northern cities like Milan, Bologna, Florence and Venice can be reached in a few hours by train. 

Parma is known all over the world for its cultural heritage and its refined culinary traditions. It has a big University with a campus where most scientific departments concentrate. There are also many tourist attractions such as a beautiful romanesque-style Cathedral and Baptistery, the Church and Monastery of Saint John the Evangelist, the Steccata Church, the Pilotta Palace with the National Gallery and the Farnese Theatre, the Teatro Regio (Opera House), museums and historical buildings. Parma's music tradition is well-known all over the world thanks to great artists such as Giuseppe Verdi, Nicolò Paganini and Arturo Toscanini.  

Parma's surroundings can also boast the presence of several medieval castles that can be easily reached and visited in Torrechiara, Bardi, Fontanellato, Felino, etc. 

Parma is situated in the Western part of Emilia Romagna, in the so-called Food Valley, a thriving agricultural and industrial area in the Po Valley and its economy is mostly based on small, medium-size businesses (as well as a few larger worldwide known industrial plants such as Barilla and Parmalat). Most economic activities revolve around  the food industries that process local agricultural produces (e.g. Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, pasta, tomatoes) that are appreciated the world over, since they are healthy, tasty and safe.  Other factories concentrate on the production of machines for food processing. Our town also hosts the headquarters of the European Food Safety Agency. Other important products are perfumes (e.g. Violetta di Parma), clothing, etc. Visitors can find a wide range of shops selling local food and wines as well as restaurants or "trattorie"  that prepare local healthy food at affordable prices!