The aim of this paper is to analyze some proposed objectives and targets for secondary education in the "old" National Education Plan (nep Law n. 10172/01), in order to evaluate which of them have been fully achieved, which have been partially achieved and which have not been affected along the last decade, since a new nep is being proposed. Moreover, our goal is also to assess to what extent attaining or not the targets proposed in the early 1990s have influenced the perception and expectations of high school students regarding their admission to higher education in a near future. This text approaches issues related to the attendance and provision of secondary education and specific pedagogical issues at high-school level.
High school education; National Education Plan; Vocational education