07/06/2013
Five schools from across Italy have been presented with awards by Cambridge Assessment English, part of the University of Cambridge.
The Cambridge English Italian Preparation Centre Awards 2013 were presented at a ceremony in Cambridge’s historic Christ’s College to schools which have made an outstanding commitment to their students’ success by increasing opportunities and support for them to gain international certification of their English language skills.
The prize-winning schools were chosen from more than 90 institutions in Italy which prepare students for the Cambridge English exams:
Liceo Scientifico G. Rummo, Benevento - Best new Cambridge English Preparation Centre
Istituto Compresivo Falcone – Aci Castello, Catania - Best Scuola Primaria
Scuola Media Statale Brofferio, Asti - Best Scuola Secondaria di primo grado
Liceo G.B. Quadri, Vicenza - Best Scuola Secondaria di secondo grado
Convitto Nazionale Umberto I, Torino - Best User of Cambridge English Preparation Materials
Presenting the awards, Dr Michael Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment English, said that he was extremely impressed by the efforts of Italian schools and teachers to give their students the best possible support to master the English language, which is an essential skill for everyone in the 21st century. He explained that these awards are not given to the schools which enter the largest number of candidates, nor those which achieve the highest scores, but to those which offer all of their students the greatest opportunities.
Nick Beer, head of Cambridge Assessment English in Italy, said that the awards mark an important year in the history of English language education as this is the centenary of the Cambridge English exams, which were first offered in 1913 when they were taken by 3 candidates. They are now taken by more than four million people a year in 130 countries. Just as significant is the fact that this is the 80th anniversary of the first Cambridge English exam centre in Italy, which opened in San Remo in 1933 – today the exams are offered by more than 160 centres and over 5,000 preparation centres in every part of Italy.