by InTrieste
The Italian government has authorized the use of metal detectors in schools, expanding security measures in the wake of a fatal knife attack that has intensified a national debate over student safety and youth violence.
In a joint directive issued Wednesday, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi outlined steps to strengthen security in schools, including the possible deployment of metal detectors at entrances. The measures follow the killing of an 18-year-old student who was stabbed on Jan. 16 by a 19-year-old classmate at a vocational school in La Spezia, a port city in Italy’s northwestern Liguria region.
The attack shocked the country and prompted renewed scrutiny of how schools address the risk of weapons on campus. While Italy has not experienced school violence on the scale seen in some other countries, the episode fueled concerns about what officials have described as a growing “knife culture” among young people.
Under the directive, metal detectors will not be mandatory nationwide. Instead, their use will be decided on a case-by-case basis, at the request of school principals who identify specific risks, such as persistent bullying, drug dealing or credible reports of weapons being brought onto school grounds. Prefects and regional school authorities are encouraged to convene local public order and security committees to coordinate surveillance and prevention efforts, a structure intended to balance security concerns with school autonomy.
Officials emphasized that the preferred tools will be portable metal detectors rather than permanent, airport-style gates. The approach is designed to allow flexible, targeted checks while limiting disruption to daily school life. Mr. Piantedosi said inspections could also be carried out without prior notice, a measure he described as essential to ensuring their deterrent effect.
To avoid placing educators in a law-enforcement role, the directive specifies that searches must be conducted by public security officers or authorized personnel, not by teachers or administrative staff.
The policy has quickly become a point of contention. Supporters argue that the option of metal detectors provides a necessary layer of protection for students and staff, particularly in schools facing documented security challenges. Critics, including some parent groups and educators, have warned that the measure risks creating a climate of suspicion and repression, while doing little to address the social, psychological and economic factors that contribute to youth violence.
“The danger is treating schools like controlled zones rather than communities,” said one teachers’ union representative, echoing concerns that increased security could stigmatize students without offering meaningful prevention.
The Einaudi-Chiodo Institute in La Spezia, where the stabbing occurred, has become one of the first schools to request and receive authorization for metal detector checks. Local officials said the decision was taken in coordination with police and aimed at reassuring families while longer-term educational and social interventions are considered.
As the debate continues, the government has framed the new directive as an optional tool rather than a blanket solution — one element in a broader effort to reconcile safety with the educational mission of Italy’s schools.
