Sexual-affective lessons in kindergartens in Genoa

In the meantime, it starts here, with 300 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 5 in four Genoa kindergartens. It will be the first sexual and affective education course promoted by the Municipality of Genoa in kindergartens with the cooperation of the anti-violence centres in the city.

It is no coincidence that the experiment was presented this morning at Palazzo Tursi by the mayor Silvia Salis and the councillor for schools Rita Bruzzone, precisely today that the international day for the elimination of violence against women is being celebrated. The project will start in January 2026 in four municipal kindergartens: Santa Sofia, in the city centre, Firpo and Mazzini in Sampierdarena, and Monticelli in Lagaccio. "Still these days there are those who say that sex-affective education in schools is unnecessary, it takes courage to support such a thing, just as it takes courage to say that these are issues that are the responsibility of families,' said the mayor Silvia Salis. 'We think that the State has the responsibility to educate, and the mayor, who has the pulse of society, must be the first to give a signal. Of course, 'this is a small step,' Salis concluded, 'but with the air that is blowing in this country, I think it is a great signal. The trial will be carried out at practically no cost thanks to the collaboration of the Mascherona and Per non subire violenza anti-violence centres.

Families will be informed and involved in the process. "We emphasise this to avoid polemics of any kind," says councillor Bruzzone, "just as we emphasise that sex and affective education in pre-schools does not mean that we teach boys and girls what sex is, we help them to build a path of self-awareness, of their own bodies and of valuing diversity. In several kindergartens in Genoa, as well as in many primary and secondary schools that do not come under municipal jurisdiction, there are already sex and affective education projects, but 'they are carried out thanks to the goodwill of groups of teachers who are at the forefront from a pedagogical point of view,' Bruzzone concludes. Today we want to start putting these skills into practice, at least as far as municipal schools are concerned.