Italian school affective education referendum

A campaign to collect signatures for a national referendum in Italy regarding affective and sexual education in schools has commenced. The initiative, promoted by the committee ‘Sì educazione affettiva nelle scuole’, seeks to abolish the current requirement for written parental consent, which can result in students being removed from the classroom.

Proponents argue that making this education a standard part of the curriculum is essential to combat issues such as bullying, discrimination, and femicide. Activists Fabrizio Marrazzo and Marina Zela have called on political candidates to support the measure, stating the issue transcends party lines.

In its first weekend, the signature collection process gathered over 40,000 signatures via the official ministerial platform using SPID.

In response to the ongoing debate, Italy has implemented Law 104/2026, which introduces new regulations regarding parental consent for sexual education. Starting in the upcoming school year, secondary schools must obtain prior informed consent from families for any extracurricular or additional educational activities related to sexual topics. Additionally, schools are required to provide all teaching materials to families at least seven days before such interventions.

The law strictly prohibits these specific activities in nursery and primary schools, citing a need to prevent “potential confusion regarding gender identity in young children,” though it does not exclude the standard national curriculum involving mandatory biological sexual education. Critics warn that these requirements may discourage schools from addressing sensitive topics like consent and STI prevention, potentially leaving adolescents to rely on unverified content from social media.