Regulations on Italian Language Courses and Integration Activities

The present regulation governs the organizational procedures for Italian language courses and integration activities in accordance with the principles set forth in Art. 72 of the School Law of February 1, 1990.

1 The Department of Education, Culture and Sport (hereinafter the Department) is responsible for the application of these regulations.

2 The delegations to the teaching sections refer to

a) the Municipal Schools Section for kindergarten and primary schools;

b) the Middle School Section for middle schools;

c) the Section for Industrial, Agricultural, Craft and Artistic Education, the Section for Commercial and Services Education, and the Section for Healthcare and Social Education for their respective basic vocational schools;

d) the Upper Secondary School Section for upper secondary schools;

e) the Special Pedagogy Section for special schools.

1 Italian language courses and integration activities are organized with the aim of fostering an adequate command of the Italian language and the integration of students of other languages (hereinafter referred to as allophone students) into our social and cultural context; these, in a collaborative spirit, complement the initiatives promoted by all teachers and the educational institution.

2 In particular, the courses and activities aim to help allophone students acquire sufficient linguistic skills, such as to enable them to follow the curricula and to understand the social and cultural environment in which they are placed.

1 For every school order and grade, the Department defines the specific objectives and the implementation methods for courses and activities, considering the age and scholastic situation of allophone students, their specific characteristics, the curricula, and available resources.

2 To this end, it issues directives or guidelines.

Students who are not native speakers residing in the Canton are admitted to the courses and activities, subject to an assessment of their needs.

1 Courses and activities are time-limited, for a duration of two academic years.

2 In specific and documented cases, in compulsory schools, the respective teaching sections may extend the duration of courses and activities as an exception to what is established in subsection 1. The extension is subject to the evaluation of linguistic and integration needs identified at the end of the two-year period and to the definition of a pedagogical project by the school management, in municipal schools in agreement with the inspectorate.

1 Depending on the school and personal situation of each student, the school curriculum for non-native speaking students may also include temporary exemptions from individual subjects or be temporarily personalized.

2 The relative decision rests with the Institute's management, upon prior notice from the inspectorate for municipal schools and the class council for middle schools.

1 The demand for language and integration teachers is established at the beginning of each school year by the Department in teaching units (hereinafter referred to as TU), based on the parameters set out in Articles 9 and 10 and available resources.

2 Once the demand has been defined, the allocation of annual TUs to individual cantonal and communal institutes (annual endowment) is then the responsibility of the teaching sections; in the communal school sector, it is decided by the inspectorate, after consulting the district commission.

3 In the case of new student arrivals after the start of the school year, the annual endowment is increased, subject to agreement from the teaching section, by 36 TUs for each student arriving by March 31st; after this date, the increase is proportional to the number of weeks remaining until the end of the school year.

1 In principle, the ratio between beneficiary students and the number of annual Didactic Units (DUs) assigned is 36 DUs per student, but at a minimum

kindergarten

36 DUs

for groups of up to 2 students

primary school

36 DUs

for 1 student

144 DUs

for the group of the first 2-4 students

middle school

72 DUs

for 1 student (for both the first and second year)

144 DUs

for the group of the first 2-4 students in the first year

for the group of the first 5 students in the second year

216 DUs

for the group of the first 6-10 students in the second year

for the group of the first 11 or more students in the second year

2 In addition to what is provided for in paragraph 1, for the performance of the tasks referred to in Art. 14 letters b-d, an additional annual allocation of 36 DUs is recognized for groups of up to 10 students and 72 DUs for groups of 11 or more students who arrived by March 31st; after this date, the recognition is proportional to the number of weeks remaining until the end of the school year.

For post-compulsory schools, the Department defines the required UDs on a case-by-case basis.

UDs can be used both during the school year and during vacation periods, according to the needs and methods specific to each school level and grade.

The Canton invoices the Municipality 40 francs for each teaching unit (UD) assigned pursuant to Article 8, paragraph 2, provided by the cantonal language and integration teacher; the total amount is deducted from the annual cantonal contribution per municipal school section.

1 In school institutes with at least 26 sections, the Municipality, through a multi-year agreement with the Canton, may directly assume the competence to organize courses and activities by directly employing language and integration teachers, who will perform the tasks referred to in Arts. 14 and 15, based on the needs defined and calculated according to Arts. 8 and 9, in accordance with the requirements, employment relationship, and remuneration referred to in Arts. 16 and 17. [1]

2 In the case of school institutes with fewer than 26 sections, Municipalities may submit a request to the Section for Municipal Schools to directly employ language and integration teachers according to the procedures set out in paragraph 1; the final decision rests with the Department.

3 In the case of an agreement, notwithstanding the provisions of Art. 12, Municipalities shall invoice the Canton 35 francs for each teaching unit (UD) assigned pursuant to Art. 8 para. 2 provided by the municipal language and integration teacher; the total amount shall be added to the annual cantonal contribution per municipal school section.

4 The conclusion of the agreement referred to in paragraphs 1-3 falls within the competence of the Department for the cantonal part and of the Municipality for the municipal part. [2]

[1] Para. modified by R 24.2.2021; in force since 1.8.2021 - BU 2021, 79.

[2] Para. modified by R 24.2.2021; in force since 1.8.2021 - BU 2021, 79.

The duties of the language and integration teacher are as follows

a) the teaching of Italian according to the assigned teaching units;

b) the accompaniment of newly arrived non-native speaking students in the institute through the process of progressive integration into the new school environment;

c) participation in collegiate activities within the institute (collaboration with other teachers, interviews, planning, information), raising awareness among teachers (presentation of materials, topics to be addressed, institute projects, provision of resources) and collaboration with the management and the inspectorate within the framework of intercultural education initiatives;

d) contacts with the families of non-native speaking students and with bodies and services responsible for assisting immigrants;

e) participation in study days and continuous professional development activities;

f) participation in at least one annual meeting of all language and integration teachers active in Ticino schools.

Teachers and various school services collaborate with language and integration teachers in the implementation of reception and inclusion programs for non-native speaking students.

1 Annually, the Division of Schools and the Division of Vocational Education, in collaboration with the Department's Administrative Section, open the competition for the appointment and assignment of language and integration teachers.

2 The requirements are as follows

a) for municipal schools, a bachelor's degree in teaching for the preschool or primary level, or the teaching license for kindergarten or primary school, as well as a certification of advanced studies in multilingualism and integration;

b) for cantonal schools, teaching qualifications for middle school or vocational schools (qualification for primary teaching corresponding to 1800 hours (60 ECTS)) and a certification of advanced studies in multilingualism and integration, or alternatively the qualifications referred to in letter a.

3 In the absence of the certification of advanced studies referred to in the preceding paragraph, the hired language and integration teacher is required to obtain it within 5 years of the initial appointment.

1 The employment relationship of language and integration teachers is governed as follows

a) part-time or full-time activities, with flexible hours according to needs;

b) recruitment and administrative dependence on the Canton, except for language and integration teachers employed by the Municipalities under the multi-year agreements with the Canton referred to in Art. 13.

2 Language and integration teachers have the status of teachers within the meaning of the Law on the Public Servants and Teachers Act of March 15, 1995, and are remunerated based on the salary scales for primary school teachers.

3 The salary of language and integration teachers is defined based on the hours estimated for the entire school year. Subsequently, in the event of a change in the estimated hours, it will generally be adjusted at most at three points in time (end of November, end of March, and end of June), considering all changes in the workload that occurred in the preceding months. [3]

[3] Paragraph introduced by R 29.3.2023; in force from 1.8.2023 - BU 2023, 126.

1 The Department collaborates with foreign authorities and recognized foreign communities that organize courses in language and culture of origin in the Canton for students in compulsory education.

2 In support of the recognized courses, the Canton and the Municipalities provide school premises and basic infrastructure free of charge; the courses are covered by civil liability and school accident insurance.

3 Courses recognized by the Department are considered an integral part of school activity; the results obtained are certified and recorded in the student's file.

1 A Commission for Non-Italian Speaking Pupils is hereby established with the following duties

a) to monitor the evolution of immigration phenomena in relation to their consequences of an educational nature;

b) to propose to the cantonal services the elaboration of data intended to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the integration work carried out in schools;

c) to suggest pedagogical and organizational verifications and measures capable of providing an increasingly adequate response to integration problems;

d) to promote contacts with bodies and services operating in Ticino and outside the Canton.

2 The composition of the Commission and the modalities of collaboration with the educational services and sectors are defined by the Department.

The Department shall submit to the Council of State an evaluation report on these Regulations within two years of their entry into force.

The Regulation on Italian Language Courses and Integration Activities of May 31, 1994, is repealed.

This Regulation shall be published in the Official Bulletin of Laws and shall enter into force on August 1, 2021.

Published in OB 2020, 380.