Corleone: the tax authorities visit the sixth-form college at the students’ request
The economics and finance specialisation programme is set to begin at the ‘Don Giovanni Colletto’ school. The programme will be run in partnership with the school, the University of Palermo and the banking sector. Alleanza Assicurazioni will fund the specialist lecturers and a scholarship
How do you manage your savings? And how do you spot a financial scam before you lose money? These questions, posed by the pupils, have given rise to the new course at the IISS ‘Don Giovanni Colletto’ scientific secondary school in Corleone. The economics and finance specialisation was launched following a year’s work to incorporate it into the curriculum. The school had already secured the consent of the families of pupils enrolled in the first year for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The aim is to ensure continuity in financial education, bringing into the classroom knowledge that is useful for day-to-day decisions: assessing a proposal, understanding the risks associated with money, and protecting one’s savings. The project will be overseen by a technical and scientific committee comprising teachers from the school, representatives from the banking sector and lecturers from the Department of Economics, Business and Statistics at the University of Palermo.
Davide Passero, Chief Executive of Alleanza Assicurazioni, attended the opening ceremony. The partnership with the school began in May 2025, when Passero met with the pupils to discuss financial literacy and social inclusion. Following that discussion, and in response to the pupils’ requests, Headteacher Elisa Inglima and the teaching staff developed a programme to be incorporated into the curriculum.
The partnership with Alleanza was formalised at the start of the pilot scheme. The company will cover the costs of specialist teaching staff and will set up a scholarship for the most deserving students at the end of the first two years. “This is a particularly significant achievement for our sixth-form college and for the whole local area,” says Inglima.
The data from Alleanza Assicurazioni’s Edufin Index 2025 also help to explain why financial education has a place in the classroom. Sicily scores 54 points on the index, which measures financial literacy, compared with a national average of 56: both figures are below the pass mark, set at 60. The gap with the rest of the country widens when it comes to knowledge of the pension system, where the island scores 42 points compared with 48. On awareness of the economic consequences of increased life expectancy, the figures stand at 54 points compared with 55.
