Next week, from 6 to 22 February, we start with the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics. For the Olympic torch parade in Milan, Friday 6 Februaryin agreement with the Lombardy regional school office, has been decided the closure of schools “of every order and degree” which are located inside the external ring road, as reported The Corriere della Sera.
Heavens open: there were appeals and letters to the Prefect of Milan, but also to the mayor Beppe Sala and to the general director of the regional school office (Usr), Luciana Volta, to prevent school closureson the occasion of the passing of the Olympic flame.
The criticisms
Families are in limbo: the news of the closure was released by the Prefecture together with the list of roads that will remain closed in the “red zones”. But school directors have not yet issued any indicationsbecause I am waiting for the municipal closure order. Associations and politicians are mobilizing to prevent schools from closing.
In a letter, parliamentarian Lia Quartapelle invited the Prefect to “reconsider the decision, in particular with regard to nurseries, nursery schools and primary schools. The Olympics represent an extraordinary educational opportunity: a moment of promotion of sport, fair competition, dialogue between nations… in this sense the closure of schools appears to be an obvious contradiction”.
Barbara Meggetto, president of Legambiente Lombardia, also adds: “The event itself is offering nothing to Milanese schools. By asking citizens of school age to stay at home, we increase the discomfort of the school community, including families, who should be at the center of many activities of this great occasion. An exclusive Olympics like the one that closes schools loses value and gives the wrong message”. The principals’ unions are also mobilising.
Valditara muffles
For his part, the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditaravisiting a Milanese school on Monday morning, toned down the controversy: “The issue of the Olympics is so important that it will bring dozens and dozens of heads of state to Milan and therefore I believe that, if the schools are closed for one day, since there will be a lot of traffic, we will certainly be able to tolerate this inconvenience. Let’s think instead of the global resonance that the city of Milan will have and the fact that sport will be put first for several days, it is put as a priority and this is very important, even for young people.”
As for the schools near the Olympic sites in the mountains, they will have the possibility, if they wish, to activate the Dad.
