FAQ

A2: Each country has its own laws. Some allow home-schooling, some do not. Most European countries do. Parents should check the situation in their country before sending their children. Because of its increasing popularity, the rules and regulations are constantly being updated.
(e.g. In Italy, parents have to communicate their choice of home-schooling education to the authorities and to the Local Public School every year.)
By Italian law, children have to pass an exam recognised by the state, when they finish the school they are in, before they pass to the next school.
There are no specific requirements for the school buildings; education could be provided even in a private house (hence “home-schooling”).
As for the dormitory and lodgings, there are national Health & Safety requirements and regulations which must be complied with. These apply to all boarding schools, not just the home-schooling educational model.

A3: Yes, they are completely legal. Parents have the right to choose the type of education they consider best for their children. If they do not wish to send them to a state school, they can send them either to a private school or educate them privately through home-schooling.

A4: A home schooling project is not a registered school but an educational model by which families provide education to their children singularly or collectively by taking responsibility for the educational duties or delegating them to some appointed teachers. Either way, the parents are responsible for the education of their children. Teachers can be members of the families or qualified people appointed by the parents. In Italy, home schooling is not monitored or regulated by the Ministry of Education (MIUR). Different requirements apply depending on the laws of the specific country (e.g. Italian children need to be tested at the end of their studies, when they enter the public educational system, in order to receive an official certificate).
The responsibility for the education of one’s children is always with the parents, whatever they may chose. The difference is in the case of state and private schools (parity and non-parity), where the academic curriculum is decided by the Ministry. In the case of home-schooling, the parents are free to decide their own curriculum. While parents are always responsible for the education of their own children, the ministry has the responsibility of making sure that the education actually takes place. In the case of home-schooling, it does so through the end of year exams.

A5: There are no laws preventing children from going to boarding schools in Italy. (One must also bear in mind that there is no culture of prestigious boarding schools like the ones in England). However, there is a law which protects the right of the child to grow up in a family environment. Over the past 30 years, this law has been used to close many boarding schools because of problematic cases where children have suffered from maltreatment and abuse.
Thanks to the positive outcome of our recent 49 rulings from the judges of the Juvenile Court of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, we have very strong legal precedents confirming the right of parents to educate their children in the way they consider best for their children and in a way that is consistent with their beliefs, even if this is in a boarding school far from their home for an extended period of time.
At the same time, it was recognised that the right of the child to grow up in a family environment had not been violated. The hearings confirmed that the educational and caring model used in Cabella International Sahaja School is perfectly valid and in accordance with the law.

A6: Our aim is to become a fully recognised private school as soon as possible. In the meantime, as there is no law governing home-schooling projects in Italy, we are in the process of requesting accreditation from COBIS (Council for British International Schools) which has set up global standards for International schools. This accreditation is on a voluntary basis in order to commit ourselves to highest international standards. This will include inspections from specialists appointed by COBIS to certify that we meet their requirements.
In addition to that, in the absence of any regulations for boarding schools at primary level in Italy, we are in the process of seeking affiliation with an association of boarding schools that apply standards recognised by the British government.

A7: The CISS curriculum is based on the International Primary Curriculum for most subjects (i.e. Science, History, Geography, and International). However for Maths and English, we follow the Curriculum taught in British schools. Italian native speakers follow the Italian National Curriculum. In addition, students at CISS receive lessons of Sport, Nature, Art, Music, Musical Instrument, Orchestra and Choir.

A8: CISS usually starts on the middle of September and follows the Italian National School Calendar. There is a long holiday for Christmas (around 3 weeks) and for Easter (around 2 weeks). The end of the school year generally coincides with the Shri Adi Shakti Puja weekend.

A9: From the parents’ guidelines:
Each and every child has the inalienable right to contact his/her parents by phone and/or meet them whenever desired.
There are weekends (roughly twice a month) in which parents are invited to take their children or to participate in activities organized by CISS.
Parents can phone their children once a week and are encouraged to send letters and postcards to their children every week. Children can also receive one parcel each term and an extra parcel for their birthday.