Italian pediatrician Italo Farnetani urges ban on summer homework

Pediatrician Italo Farnetani is calling on Italian families to refuse summer‑holiday homework, urging parents to submit a written justification to schools. He argues that the summer break is a "psychobiological need" for children, supporting outdoor activity, family time and resilience. Farnetani says hot weather and prolonged study stress reduce concentration, lower performance and can harm mental and physical health. He cites the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees minors the right to rest and to express their opinions, and warns that climate‑related heat further stresses students. He recommends extending, not shortening, summer vacations to protect child development.

The campaign is presented as a form of "civil disobedience" aimed at influencing school policies that assign homework during the holiday period.