Scuola Italiana Di Asmara

The Italian School of Asmara (officially Istituto italiano statale omnicomprensivo di Asmara - Scuola italiana di Asmara) is a government-operated Italian international school located in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. The school was founded in 1903 to serve the growing Italian colonial population, originally with two Italian schools in Asmara and Keren, though the Keren school later closed. The Asmara school initially served only preschool and grades one to five, but expanded in 1957 with the addition of the Scuola dell'Infanzia Montessori for ages three to five. In 1975, the school ceased most operations due to the Eritrean War of Independence, leading to the departure of most of the Italian community. However, by 1990, the Montessori preschool had grown to three teachers and four classes. In 2000, Italy officially recognized the school and arranged an agreement making it accessible to all temporary expatriate families at low cost. As of 2015, the school had 550 students across its various divisions, with the student demographic shifting from primarily Italian nationals to predominantly Eritrean students (84%), with Italians or other Europeans making up 14% and children of temporary expatriate workers comprising 2%.