High School Students Network and Arcigay: "The Ministry of Education has shown positive concern, but concrete action is needed.".
Undersecretary of Education Davide Faraone wanted to contact the student at the Pavia school who suffered homophobic and sexist taunts during the elections for representatives. Faraone expressed the MIUR's solidarity with this unfortunate event and pledged the Ministry's commitment to this matter. "We welcome Undersecretary Faraone's attention to the boy who received insults on the ballot papers during the elections for representatives," he stated. Alberto Irone, national spokesperson for the High School Students Network. "Acknowledging that these incidents occur in Italian schools," he continues, "is a first step toward recognizing a widespread problem that is much broader than it might seem. It is positive that Undersecretary Faraone is committed to these issues, and for this very reason we reiterate the importance of the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) taking concrete action, issuing guidelines developed with LGBTQ associations and school representatives, so that all schools include courses on respect for differences, but above all, on understanding the diversity that exists in the world around us. Only by overcoming ignorance on these issues can we defeat the homophobia of those who spread falsehoods, disguising them as a battle against the fear of 'gender ideology.'" "Bullying is a very serious and widespread phenomenon in schools," he adds. Flavio Romani, president of Arcigay Homophobic and transphobic behavior, moreover, enjoys the implicit legitimacy of a policy that fails to express public recognition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people through legislation. The Ministry is therefore right to be alarmed, because from the standpoint of preventing these phenomena, the school system is overall fragile and extremely vulnerable. Responsibility is therefore needed: structural action is needed, and it is needed now. The paralysis that has affected the planning work that the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), has undertaken with the social partners must absolutely be overcome.
