The Italian Parliament has approved bill C. 2423 “Disposizioni in materia di consenso informato in ambito scolastico” —provisions on informed consent in the school setting—, promoted by Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, which introduces mandatory informed consent for any school activity addressing topics of sexuality, affectivity, or sexual orientation in secondary education centers. The law, voted on in the Chamber of Deputies, establishes a substantial change in the relationship between school and family.
Core content of the legislative text
The bill requires schools to provide families with detailed written information on objectives, contents, pedagogical methods, and the presence of external experts before authorizing their children’s participation. According to the official text, minors will need express authorization from their parents, while adult students must consent personally.
The law prohibits any additional sexual education activities in nursery and primary schools, where only the contents provided for in the official curriculum may be taught. And when a family decides not to authorize participation in a project, educational centers will be obliged to offer alternative activities already included in their training plan.
Minister Valditara defended that this regulation responds to the constitutional principle according to which education primarily corresponds to parents, highlighting that transparency in sensitive contents will strengthen collaboration between school and family.
Criticisms and concerns
The political opposition and numerous civil organizations have criticized the measure, warning that mandatory consent may leave students without affective-sexual education if their parents reject or obstruct this training. According to these sectors, the law is a setback for the prevention of abuse, the promotion of interpersonal respect, and the fight against gender violence.
Others point out that the norm could create educational inequality and promote self-censorship in centers regarding subjects considered sensitive.
Institutional silence of the Italian Church
To date, there is no official statement from the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) on this law. Nor has its president, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, made any specific public comments on the Valditara DDL.
The CEI has published general reflections on affective-sexual education on other occasions, emphasizing the need for comprehensive training inspired by the Christian vision of the person; however, it has not taken a public stance on this specific regulation, which marks a significant point in Italian school policy.
Next steps: the Senate
The bill now passes to the Senate, where it is expected that the government will maintain a sufficient majority to approve it without significant changes. If ratified, Italy will become one of the few European countries that requires explicit parental consent for sexual education in secondary school, while also limiting its presence in early stages.