I 30 YEARS OF’ ESI
30 years of ESI in the Netherlands: a fascinating story.
With a dual purpose: the diffusion of the Italian language and culture in the Netherlands and the offer of a school service to the Italian community and/or of Italian origin residing there.

The history of the Foundation (“Foundation”) ESI begins on 17 November 1993 with the notarial filing of the Statute at the Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce:
Item 2: “The purpose of the Foundation is […] the care of issues relating to the education in Italian of Italian citizens residing in the Netherlands and members of their families. It is in charge […] to the promotion of their training in Italian within schools […] aiming to protect their culture and identity. The Foundation may also carry out any other activity that is relevant in the broadest sense of the term to what is described above”.
Few would have imagined that within a few years the ESI would have expanded its action:
- to the organization of independent Italian language and culture courses, intended for students of the age groups corresponding to primary and secondary school and adult students;
- to the promotion of Italian language courses included in the school programs of public and private schools in the Netherlands;
- to the implementation of training and refresher activities for Italian language teachers in the Netherlands;
- to the promotion of Italian culture in the Netherlands through the organization of conferences, theatrical performances and participation in events useful for this purpose.
All this was possible thanks to people, starting from 6 with which we started in 1993 to the dozens and dozens who have gradually committed themselves during these 30 years to achieve these objectives.

The start
The history of ESI begins with the 1993/1994 school year, in which 4 teachers carry out 43 courses for a total of 429 students among children and adults in various locations in the Consular District of Rotterdam (Central-South Holland. ESI thus reactivates the courses carried out in previous years by COASCIT, body of direct consular emanation.
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The expansion
The story of ESI continues from the school year 2001/2002 with the incorporation of the activities previously carried out by the counterpart Egasit (operating in the Consular District of Amsterdam – Olanda North and East). 19 teachers carry out 118 courses for a total of 1200 pupils among children and adults in various locations throughout the Netherlands.
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The difficult years
The story of ESI continues from the school year 2005/2006 with the cessation of ministerial contributions for adult courses and the progressive reduction by the MAE of permanent ministerial teachers. We therefore witness the subsequent drastic reduction of ministerial contributions for elementary courses, following the global economic crisis.
It thus progressively drops to just one 5 teachers for just 16 courses with 162 pupils. At the end of the period the last ministerial chair was also abolished.
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The recovery
The economic crisis of the previous two years has been overcome, ESI expands the offer of courses for children throughout the territory and begins the organization of self-financed courses for adults (that is, without any more ministerial contributions). At the end of the period they will be there 34 overall courses with 300 students e 14 teachers entirely dependent on ESI.
In 2019 ESI is authorized by the Universities of Siena and Perugia to administer the CILS and CELI exams for the achievement of CEFR certifications
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The COVID years
These are the years of the pandemic and all in-person courses are disrupted and then forcibly closed according to the provisions of the competent Dutch authorities. ESI proceeds without delay to transform all active courses into distance learning courses (online), for both children and adults. Thanks to the professionalism and flexibility of the entire teaching staff, the success is astonishing: the number of courses, pupils, teachers and teaching hours remains unchanged!
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Maturity
The history of ESI continues by reporting all the traditional in-person courses for children, opening distance courses for children unable to attend traditional courses, and expanding the offer of online courses for adults.
Currently 19 teachers ensure the carrying out of 42 courses for children, 8 annual courses for adults e 4 courses for adults preparing for certification exams.
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ESI is currently operational on the territory of the Netherlands in two complementary modes: elementary and middle school courses intended for students of compulsory school age (5- 16 years) and courses intended for older students. The elementary/middle school courses are still partly financed with contributions allocated annually by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and for the remaining part by a paid participation fee (of families) of the students. By ministerial decision, from the 2013 courses for adults no longer receive contributions from Italian institutions and are therefore entirely financed by the students themselves. Not carrying out a commercial activity but a cultural service to the community, ESI does not make a profit (Non-profit moral entity), therefore fixing and using the aforementioned proceeds only to cover the expenses related to the management of the courses.
The ESI is integrated into the “Italian Training System in the World” as established by the MAECI, ed is the only organization in the Netherlands that manages a nationwide organization of Italian language and culture courses for children, adapted annually to the multiple needs of users, with reference to – families of Italian officials in international organizations; – families of Italian professionals who moved to the Netherlands; – families of mixed and/or only partly Italian languages/origins; – families integrated into Dutch society with Italian origin and/or descent; – non-Italian speaking families but with particular interest in Italy and/or the Italian language.
For adults, ESI offers courses at all levels of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) both in-presence and at-distance, intended for: – students who wish to learn Italian for culture and personal interest; – students who need a specific level of Italian for professional reasons; – students who need an official certification of knowledge of Italian (of minimum level B1) to be able to apply for Italian citizenship.