Chieri, a medieval town near Turin, is home to three prominent educational institutions: Daisy Elementary School, Holden Middle School, and Pascal High Schools. These schools exemplify how the education system can combine quality education with an innovative and international approach. In this article, we explore three distinctive aspects of these three schools, renowned among Turin’s private schools: the robotics and STEM lab, the teaching of the subject “debate,” and the Cambridge curriculum.
Chieri’s bilingual international schools offer students a robotics lab, a key component of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum.
Parents often wonder what the meaning of STEM is.
STEM refers to the four aforementioned disciplines combined with an educational approach that integrates them to solve real-world problems, stimulate innovation, and prepare for studies and careers in these fields.
This “learning by doing” approach allows students to acquire practical skills from a young age.
At Daisy Elementary School, children can participate in simple projects, such as building robots using educational robotics kits like LEGO WeDo, starting in the early years. For example, they can program their robots to perform basic tasks, such as following a drawn line or playing a tune. These activities foster scientific curiosity and introduce fundamental programming and engineering concepts, creating a stimulating learning environment.
At Holden Middle School, the program becomes more advanced. Students can work on complex projects, such as creating drones or autonomous robots using platforms like Arduino or Raspberry Pi. A concrete example is the project of building a robot that must detect obstacles and navigate a defined space. Through these activities, students learn not only STEM concepts, but also skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.
At Pascal High School, students dedicate themselves to more in-depth studies. Each year, students can focus on specific topics: in the first year, they might design a programmable robotic arm; in the second year, a project on renewable energy might require assembling a solar robot. In the third year, they might explore machine learning by creating software that recognizes images or sounds. In the fourth and fifth years, students can work on advanced research projects, such as using algorithms to optimize the efficiency of a robotic system.
Debate teaching is another distinctive element of Chieri schools, designed to stimulate students’ critical thinking and argumentation skills. Debate in international schools is a teaching method based on a regulated argumentative exchange between two teams on a specific issue, which develops transversal skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, public speaking, and the use of a foreign language.
What are the debate topics?
Debate topics cover political, economic, social, and human rights issues, but may also include questions related to philosophy, law, ethics, and school subjects such as science and history. The goal is to analyze complex issues, develop critical thinking, and hone oratory and argumentation skills.
Starting in fifth grade, students explore current and relevant topics, preparing for the future, including pathways like the International Baccalaureate Diploma or IB. In a world where communication and leadership skills are crucial, these lessons provide students with the tools needed to express their opinions articulately and persuasively.
At Daisy, for the past two years, debate lessons have focused on accessible and engaging topics. Students participate in discussions on simple topics, such as “Should we have healthier school lunches?” Here, they learn to formulate their own opinions and listen to those of their peers. Through role-playing and simulations, they can impersonate historical figures or famous people, making the interaction more lively and educational.
At Holden Middle School, the debate takes on a more complex structure. Students address topics like “Is social media use more harmful than helpful?” In groups, they prepare arguments and counterarguments, developing research and critical analysis skills. By organizing formal debates, where two teams compete against each other, students learn to support their ideas with reliable sources, practicing the art of rhetoric and receiving feedback from their peers and teachers.
In the Liceo Pascal classes, debate becomes an opportunity to address global and social issues. Students participate in debate competitions, honing their skills in presenting complex arguments. They can tackle provocative questions such as “Is it right to limit freedom of expression for security reasons?” Students must not only defend their arguments but also anticipate objections. Through analyzing public debates and practicing communication techniques, they develop essential skills for their future lives.
The schools of the Pascal Institute in Chieri have chosen to introduce the subject of “debate” into the curriculum to increasingly align with the international school model. This choice fosters the acquisition of essential communication skills and encourages students to respect and understand different cultures and points of view, essential in a globalized context.
Finally, the Cambridge curriculum is a strength of high schools in Turin and its province, as well as middle schools in Turin and its province. In our case, the Holden International Middle School and Daisy Elementary School, with the Cambridge curriculum, offer a standardized, high-quality, internationally recognized educational program. Students at the Holden Lower Secondary School
who choose the Cambridge curriculum have the opportunity to prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, or the American Double Diploma, qualifications that open doors to prestigious universities around the world. Thanks to this curriculum, they not only acquire advanced knowledge, but also develop valuable transferable skills for the world of work and everyday life.
The bilingual international schools in Chieri, through their robotics and STEM laboratories, debate teaching, and the Cambridge curriculum, offer a high-quality education that prepares students to successfully face the challenges of a globalized world. Practical and formative experiences make students active protagonists of their learning, making Chieri a benchmark for bilingual education in the region.
