To begin this article, I must admit that I have not stayed in Italy long enough to be an expert on all the cultural nuances that exist. This is just the very beginning of having insight into the peo
ple, culture and lifestyle and how it contrasts with Australia, where I am from. I really wanted to write about the difference in mentality between Italy and Australia, that is to say, the way of thinking and living. I have always known that this comprehension comes from learning the language, so perhaps when my Italian is better, I can more accurately summarise some of these subtleties.
To begin with, a huge difference I have found between the method of learning in Italy compared to Australia
, is the emphasis on history! I was taken by surprise when I found a large section on the history in a physics textbook! From what I have seen, the reason that there is this emphasis on history, is because Italians have a connection to the peninsula that goes back thousands of years. Italians have a direct link on the land on which they live. In Australia, there exists this kind of connection for the Indigenous People who have lived in Australia for thousands of years, and have the same level of depth and care about their history that Italians do.
Australia after colonialism, was federated only in 1901, while the plans for the Convitto began in 1711! The key difference in the education system therefore, is the way history is treated, viewed and studied.
Serena Ford (4B)