This paper presents the main results of an extensive monitoring exercise aimed at assessing the role of informatics education in Italian high schools. The investigation focused on the teaching and certification activities performed by the schools as well as on the role and use of information technologies for teaching and communications with the students and their families. The study has shown a very positive attitude of the schools towards informatics education: many offer specific courses to their students and promote the use of the technologies for teaching a large variety of disciplines. The certification process of ICT skills is also popular. Despite all these positive aspects, the investigation has shown that informatics education is often limited to the use of computers and seldom addresses the foundations of the discipline.