Stricione s natpisom lItalia agli italiani? Ništa što se može osuditi, ali se može podijeliti Vald: Valditara brani učenike srednje škole Monti di Cesena

Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has defended the phrase "Italy for Italians," which was displayed on a banner by two students at the Vincenzo Monti Classical High School in Cesena during the last days of the school year. The students received a six in conduct after hanging the banner from a window, according to officials. During a parliamentary session, Valditara responded to an inquiry from former party colleague Rossano Sasso, who has since joined Futuro Nazionale. The minister argued that the phrase does not warrant censorship and is instead a statement that includes all citizens of the country. He noted that this expression has been frequently used by political movements forming the current government. The students were given a six in conduct and assigned an educational project on racial laws and the essay "We Are Africans" by Guido Barbujani, following their actions. Valditara initiated an inspection through the regional education office in Emilia-Romagna to investigate whether the disciplinary action taken against the students was influenced by the content of the banner or the subsequent assignment. The minister emphasized that the inspection aims to clarify the relationship between the violation of school rules and the content of the project assigned to the students. Valditara stated that if the investigation reveals a connection between the critical content of the project and the phrase on the banner rather than the breach of conduct regulations, it would constitute a serious issue contradicting professional ethics. He reiterated that disciplinary measures should have an educational purpose, aiming to strengthen a sense of responsibility and restore proper relationships within the school community. According to Valditara, free expression of opinions that do not conflict with others' freedoms must not be sanctioned. Irene Manzi, responsible for education affairs within the Democratic Party, criticized Valditara's stance, stating that it is concerning that a minister representing all institutions justifies the phrase "Italy for Italians." She expressed further concern over sending inspectors to schools to challenge the critical project assigned to the Cesena students, arguing that this undermines the daily educational and teaching duties performed in classrooms. The incident initially sparked media reports suggesting the students had also cheered for the X-Mas movement, but one of the students denied these claims in an interview with the Corriere di Bologna. The ministry clarified that it cannot directly intervene in decisions made by individual school councils. The ongoing inspection will determine whether the disciplinary action against the students was motivated by the violation of school rules prohibiting banners or the content of the banner itself. Valditara highlighted that his reform of behavior policies emphasizes that disciplinary actions should aim to educate and foster a sense of responsibility among students. He stressed that the school's mission is to teach freedom from any form of subjugation to individuals, trends, or ideologies. The minister reiterated that the school system should encourage critical thinking, pluralism of ideas, and oppose any form of indoctrination.