Sexual-affective education also in Umbria. After the Municipality of Genoa, the Umbrian Legislative Assembly also unanimously approves by the majority a motion establishing a technical table, a regional observatory and guidelines on sexual-affective education in schools.
In fact, the Assembly unanimously approved (11 votes in favor from the majority, opposition not present in the Chamber) the motion which commits the Regional Council to “establish an inter-departmental technical table (Education, Health, Equal Opportunities), with the participation of the regional school office, universities, anti-violence centers and competent associations”.
In the Chamber, the councilor Maria Grazia Proietti, the first signatory, quoted the words of Guido Cecchettin:
The most severe laws and penalties are not enough to change this reality: the prevention of gender violence requires a structural and widespread educational investment, because repression alone cannot change the culture of domination, nor teach respect and reciprocity in relationships.
The text
As stated in the note, the table will have the task of:
The regional decision comes as the political debate focuses on the changes to Minister Valditara’s bill. The text, which initially prohibited these courses in middle schools, has been softened, but continues to require written informed consent from families.
A condition which, according to many educational organizations and professionals in the sector, risks turning into a concrete obstacle, making access to these projects dependent on individual choices rather than recognizing them as an integral part of the training path. The motion approved in Umbria highlights this clearly: Italy remains significantly behind the commitments undertaken with the Istanbul Convention and the European recommendations, which identify sexual and emotional education as a fundamental tool for promoting awareness, preventing gender violence and training responsible citizens.
In a social context marked by the growing increase in cases of violence among adolescents, relational difficulties and the spread of distorted models on social media, the choice of Umbria takes on an important symbolic and cultural weight. It’s not about “teaching sex”, as is often trivialized, but about giving kids tools to learn about their bodies, understand consent, and build healthy and respectful relationships.
Umbria’s step forward demonstrates that, beyond the ideological debate, there is space for a pragmatic and prevention-based approach. It now remains to be understood whether and how the national regulatory framework will be able to align itself with an increasingly urgent educational demand.
