Italy

 

Liceo Scientifico e Linguistico Leonardo

The State Scientific and Linguistic High School “Leonardo”, founded in Agrigento in 1957, has introduced several innovative programs alongside the traditional curriculum throughout its history and has become a leading institution in the province for the education of future leaders.

The school offers the following study programs: Scientific High School; Scientific High School with a focus on Applied Sciences and Robotics; Linguistic High School; Mathematical High School; Biomedical High School; Sports High School;

Scientific High School with a specialization in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. 

The traditional scientific curriculum has also been enriched, in one section, with the study of English as a Second Language and scientific subjects taught in English, certified through the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education).

The school aims to be a place of meeting, exchange, and reflection with families and local organizations, in order to contribute to the development of the entire educational . The “Leonardo” Scientific High School in Agrigento has more than 1,400 students aged between 14 and 19 (the number of enrolments has been steadily increasing in recent years), divided among the different study programs. Most students come from the city and from nearby towns.

The different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of the students have led, from a sociological point of view, to a rather heterogeneous school population. This is reflected in a level of variation between classes that is higher than the regional average.

Despite the strong involvement of students in curricular activities, which helps them overcome difficulties related to geographical isolation and commuting, the school also records a relatively high rate of outgoing transfers. This rate is around 15% in the scientific programs and 4% in the linguistic program, especially during the first three years of study. With the ambition of providing excellent education that equally promotes students’ academic success and the economic and social growth of the entire community, according to its vision, the school must therefore overcome the objective challenges of its context. These challenges also affect the conditions of students’ families, creating a structural disadvantage compared to peers in wealthier areas and making it more difficult to address the complex issues that all European countries face in a rapidly evolving globalized world: from inclusion to sustainability, and from democratic participation to digitalization.

At the same time, each of these challenges represents a great opportunity for less developed areas, opening up new development prospects that only high-quality, continuously updated education can transform into reality: allowing all students to fully express their potential (inclusion and participation); providing them with awareness and skills for sustainable development; guiding them in learning and using new subjects and technologies – such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence – as tools to identify new economic opportunities, make full use of available resources, support policy decisions, but also to reduce inequalities (promoting inclusion) and optimize resource management (supporting sustainability).

This is a complex set of hard and soft skills, which highlights the difficulties of continuously updating staff and educational programs in the school’s ordinary activities. Most of our teachers have been employed for more than five years and, according to an internal evaluation promoted by the school, show difficulties in updating their digital, transversal, and community-engagement skills.Acknowledging these challenges, in connection with the needs of the territory and the educational needs of its students, the Liceo Leonardo intends to make its participation in the Erasmus program a structural part of its strategy.