To summarise, from a comparison between Veneto and Italy, on average it emerges that there are some points in favour of the situation within the region, but there are also some problems which should be examined carefully by those persons who hold regional responsibility for governing schools in order to aid decisions on educational policies and strategies.
The main question mark is on the influence the family's social status has on a pupil's choice of type of school after compulsory schooling, as there are many differences between schools in terms of drop-out rates and career paths. In terms of school careers, the most important indicator is the share of students who graduate from high school out of those who start attending said school five years previously. Even though the average share in Veneto (72.5%) is higher than the national average (67.9%), the situation is still serious: a 27.5% drop-out rate (which for professional schools reaches 41% in Veneto and 51% in Italy) is still high, especially as education is for everyone and should be guaranteed as such.
With regards results, it is of comfort to be able to say that in Veneto the average cognitive learning level of fifteen-year-old school-goers is higher than the national average and than the average for OECD countries. Correlation with the family's social status is, however, still a serious problem, with those pupils who choose to study in professional institutes at a particular disadvantage.
This measure of the cognitive learning level is a useful tool as it enables us to compare countries with each other and also to look within countries. It is limited, though, in that it only measures cognitive development and does not take into account other aspects, such as social skills and emotional and motivational development, which are equally as important in the social and work sphere.
The danger is that schools, by evaluating only cognitive development, fail to include in their programmes regular activities working towards specific educational aims in these areas too.
"Arming oneself against ignorance" is becoming more and more difficult for new and old generations: schools and educational institutions have to take giant leaps if they want to face today's challenges and keep up with the times.