Italy launches signature drive for school affective education referendum

A campaign to collect signatures for a national referendum on affective and sexual education in Italian schools has officially begun. Signatures can be submitted online using SPID on the Ministry of Education’s platform (referendumeducazioneaffettiva.it/firma). The referendum seeks to remove the current requirement for written parental consent before such education takes place, allowing it to be treated like any other school activity and involving teachers, families and students in its design.

Activists Fabrizio Marrazzo and Marina Zela, spokespeople for the Committee for Affective Education in Schools, have called on all primary election candidates to publicly support the initiative, emphasizing that the issue transcends party lines. If the required number of signatures is reached, the vote will be held after the upcoming elections, becoming a test for the next government’s stance on inclusive affective and sexual education.

The proposal aims to make affective education a regular part of the curriculum, removing the risk of students being excluded from class for lacking parental approval.