Ready for the next referendum? Yes, because the 500,000 signatures needed for the abrogative referendum Sì Educazione Affettiva nelle scuole, have already been collected – and at an impressive pace, gathered both online and on paper in just over a month. Now only the final step remains: the admissibility review by the Constitutional Court. The issue at the heart of the referendum proposal aims to remove all restrictions on the teaching of affective and sexual education in Italian schools introduced by the so-called Valditara law passed last June:

• a ban on addressing topics related to sexuality in nursery and primary schools;
• an obligation for institutions to obtain written authorisation from families with seven days' notice for each activity;
• an obligation for teachers to remove from the classroom any students who lack such permission.

By eliminating these rules, explain the referendum's promoters, "sexual and affective education will once again become an inclusive school activity, placed on the same footing as other extracurricular choices approved by parents, teachers and students through the Three-Year School Offer Plans". More specifically, "it will once again be possible to promote awareness of the body and affectivity using languages and methods appropriate for every age group, including young children; the practice of excluding students from the classroom will be eliminated, ensuring that all students can take part in class activities without discrimination; schools, teachers and families will be able to permanently integrate these topics into educational pathways, freeing themselves from excessive bureaucratic constraints and guaranteeing pedagogical continuity."

The affective education young people are asking for

The issue of sexual and affective education has returned to the spotlight in these days of school reopenings, thanks in part to data from a national survey that captures a widespread need among Italian adolescents: to learn more about their bodies, relationships and consent, and to find space for this at school. The findings come from the project Anlaids incontra studenti e studentesse, which in the last school year involved 100 schools across 7 regions, two-thirds of them secondary schools. With the return to the classroom, 4 in 10 adolescents are asking to explore sexuality in its reproductive and relational dimensions: in particular, 29.9 per cent want to talk about managing emotions and feelings; 17 per cent about consent and respect for oneself, others and diversity; 11.1 per cent about the differences between biological sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. Adding together emotions, relationships, consent and respect, the request involves almost 47 per cent of respondents.

These are figures that might not seem especially high at first glance, but they signal a growing demand for adequate answers: today, when faced with an emotional or sexual problem, young people turn above all to friends (32.4 per cent) and mothers (25 per cent). Some 10.2 per cent look for answers online, while only 6.4 per cent consult a doctor and 0.5 per cent a psychologist. Another particularly significant finding is that one in three adolescents (32.5 per cent) reports concerns related to sex, specifically unwanted pregnancies (29.2 per cent), sexually transmitted infections (24.3 per cent) and feelings of inadequacy (23.3 per cent). Luca Butini, president of Anlaids, which focuses specifically on issues related to the sexual transmission of HIV, stresses that young people "have concrete questions about prevention, relationships, emotions and consent" and that, when they receive accurate answers in a non-judgmental space, "knowledge grows and stigma is reduced".

What is opening is the first school year since the law on informed consent in schools came into force – a law that requires schools to obtain prior written consent from families for any activity related to sexuality, as well as advance viewing of materials and detailed information on objectives, content and any external experts involved. A year ago, an amendment to the Valditara bill extended the ban on educational activities concerning sexuality from nursery and primary schools to lower secondary schools, i.e. middle schools. A direction that places Italy at the bottom of the EU member states: according to Unesco, only 20 per cent of countries worldwide have legislation on sexual and affective education, while in Europe 19 countries have already made it compulsory in schools, often including relationships, consent and gender roles.