Trentino schools suspend health service sex education sessions pending guidance

In Trentino, a province in northern Italy, planned sessions on sexual and relationship education at high schools have been temporarily suspended.

The sessions are part of a health service project and were to be led by midwives from local health centres.

A new law requires parents to give consent before students can take part in these activities.

The provincial education assessor, Francesca Gerosa, told schools to review planned activities and check that they meet the law’s requirements.

She said this review should allow existing health service projects to be confirmed, and that their scientific value was not in question.

The health service is discussing how to continue the sessions with the provincial education department, while opposition politician Paolo Zanella criticised the suspension.

The dates already arranged are on hold for now, and the health service says it hopes to schedule the sessions again as soon as possible.