The liceo moderno was the first attempt to upgrade the Italian lyceum system, dating back to the Casati law of 1859. Before it, in fact, there were some experimental sections without Greek and with mathematics or foreign languages, but they were dependent on individual schools and therefore they were not regulated by a ministerial directive. It did not have time to actually affirm itself because it was established over the years at the turn of the First World War and because the advent of Fascism brought a radical new reform of the entire school system. It was activated only in eight provinces and never in a properschool structure; that is, no autonomous modern lyceums were activated, as will happen later with scientific lyceums, rather where activated sections of ginnasio liceo moderno within school structures in which were yet existing sections of ginnasio liceo. The denomination of the scholastic years remained the traditional one, with a lower three-year gymnasium, two high two-years gymnasiums and two more three-years lyceums. Contrary to what was originally proposed, it allowed access to any university faculty, including letters and philosophy. The liceo moderno was suppressed by the Gentile Reform of 1923, which also suppressed the physical-mathematical section of the Regio Istituto Tecnico and replaced the liceo scientifico instituted also by the Credaro law of 1911 with that still existing.
The Royal Commission was established in 1906 and, after three years, presented a reform plan which included, moreover:
a three-year gymnasium, only one without Latin;
three five-years lyceums:
The name of the school years varied with respect of the one then in force since after the third year of gymnasium, the first years of liceo and continued until the fifth year. This denomination was resumed in 1923 for the liceo scientifico. In accordance with the Italian tradition, at the three proposed lyceums were not recognized equal dignity as access to some university faculties was conditioned by the address of attended liceo. If the liceo moderno did not allow only access to the Letters and philosophy faculty, the liceo scientifico did not allow access also to Jurisprudence faculty; and was this last a heavy limitaton in that, traditionally, the faculty of Jurisprudence was the most frequented by the management classes. This limitation was resumed in 1923, when was established the current liceo scientifico, whose title, until 1969, was not valid for signing into Letters faculty. The liceo classico, instead, allowed access to any university faculty.
Ginnasio liceo moderno
Activated from 1911 to 1923.
Features
Compared to the traditional liceo, which since then began to be called liceo classico,in the face of the absence of the Greek and the lightening of Latin, it provided for the teaching of a second foreign language, of law, of economy and a slight increase in scientific subjects. The lower gymnasium, thati is the first three-years period of gymnasium, remained unique and unchanged, then opted for the fourth year of ginnasio or for the fourth year of ginnasio moderno. The diploma issued allowed access to any university faculty. The ginnasio liceo moderno was suppressed in 1923.
