Rome (Italy), 30th September 2025 | The issue of freedom of education has recently returned to the center of public and political debate in Italy. At the Press Room of the Chamber of Deputies in Rome, the Freedom of Education Index was presented, an international report that monitors the right to education and freedom of teaching worldwide, with reference to Article 26.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the right of parents to choose the kind of education to be given to their children.

The event, organized by LABORA, brought together leading speakers and political authorities, highlighting the urgency of ensuring greater educational pluralism in Italy.

According to the data presented by Ignasi Grau Callizo, Director General of OIDEL, Italy ranks among the lowest in Europe in terms of freedom of education, along with Greece and Cyprus, and holds the 62nd position internationally. A clear sign that much remains to be done to fully recognize the role of families and independent schools in the education system.

Speakers at the event included:

• Ignasi Grau Callizo — Director General of OIDEL
• Andrea Maria Maccarini — Professor of Sociology, University of Padua
• Massimiliano Tonarini — President, Cdo | Compagnia delle Opere Educative
• Giovanni Vicari — Director, CEFA Schools

Special thanks were extended to the Honorable Paola Frassinetti, Undersecretary of State for Education and Merit, and to Lorenzo Malagola and Chiara Iannarelli, who, in their respective roles in the Senate, the Chamber, and the Regional Council of Lazio, continue to uphold the right of families to freely choose their children’s education and the importance of free schools.