After the summer holidays, sex education lessons may disappear for many children in Italy. As a result of a new law, schools will now have to ask permission from parents first. The measure is a victory for Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition.
Source: Reuters
Under a new law, sex education in Italian schools may now only be given with the express consent of the parents. Lessons are prohibited in nursery and primary education. The bill by Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara of the right-wing populist Lega party was given the final green light in the Senate on Thursday. The law is expected to come into effect after the summer holidays.
Criticism from opposition
Several opposition parties fear that the law will limit teenagers’ access to important information. “Subordinating sex education to parental consent is like requiring parental consent to teach Italian or history: an institutional absurdity that betrays the educational mandate of public schools,” said Angelo Bonelli, co-leader of the Greens and the Left Alliance.
Asking permission for sex education is like asking permission to teach Italian or history
But according to Education Minister Valditara, the reform should protect minors against “gender propaganda” and make parents responsible for raising their children again. The law states that schools must obtain written permission from parents at least one week in advance. In addition, they must also provide a detailed overview of the learning objectives and the teachers or experts involved. Students who are of age can give permission themselves.
Unlike many other European countries, sex education in Italy is not part of the standard curriculum. A 2025 survey by the independent children’s rights organization Save the Children found that only 47 percent of Italian teenagers had received sex education.