Italian Senate passes parental consent law for school sex ed

The Italian Senate has given final approval to a national law requiring written parental consent for students to participate in school programs dealing with sexuality, emotional relationships, and gender identity. The legislation, passed on June 4, 2026, by a vote of 78 to 38, mandates that schools provide families with detailed information about lesson content and any external speakers at least one week in advance. The law applies to middle and high school students, while preschool and primary school pupils are excluded from such education entirely.

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who sponsored the bill, hailed its passage as a historic reform that strengthens parental rights. He stated the law protects minors from what he termed "the confusion of gender propaganda" and reaffirms the constitutional principle that parents bear primary responsibility for their children's upbringing. The government contends the legislation does not abolish sex education, noting that biological instruction will remain in science curricula. Valditara also said the reform introduces, for the first time, mandatory education on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in middle schools...