The Italian Parliament has adopted a law that requires schools to obtain parental permission for the sexual education of students from the age of 11. The opposition and NGOs criticize the measure.

The Parliament in Rome adopted a law on Thursday that requires schools and high schools in Italy to obtain parental consent to teach sexual education to students aged at least 11 years. The law, already favorably voted by the Chamber of Deputies in December, will come into force and obliges educational institutions to provide parents with relevant teaching materials. The initiator of the law, Minister Giuseppe Valditara, argued that it "protects children from the confusion of gender propaganda" and returns control over their children's education to parents.

Criticism comes from the progressive opposition and NGOs, who believe that the law undermines sexual and emotional education, which is essential in a country with serious issues of gender violence. The Democratic Party has denounced the measure as a return to the Middle Ages, and LGBT rights associations accuse the government of abandoning its responsibility to educate young people about sexuality and health. The "Una Nessuna Centomila" foundation warns that the law will exacerbate obscurantism and leave vulnerable youth facing online misinformation.