Italian officials discuss new high school graduation exam topics

The Italian Ministry of Education released seven new topics for the first written exam of the national high‑school graduation test, allowing students to choose the one they prefer. Professor Giuseppe Buondonno, who chaired the exam committee in Fermo, said the proposed themes are "beautiful, interesting, and contain topics that invite important reflections," adding that they enable students to draw on both school knowledge and personal interests.

Education undersecretary Paola Frassinetti highlighted the wide range of options, stressing that "success requires effort" and that the reforms aim to strengthen basic competencies such as orthography, grammar and mathematics. She also addressed school safety, noting recent isolated incidents, and reaffirmed the ministry's work on curriculum changes, including the return of judgments in primary schools and the promotion of vocational pathways.

Both officials emphasized the goal of fostering critical thinking and linking education to broader societal and labour‑market needs.