How did Mussolini’s government use schools and youth groups to spread Fascist ideas?

To spread Fascist ideology, Benito Mussolini’s government exerted control over the educational system and organized youth activities to foster state loyalty and indoctrination.

In schools, the regime imposed new textbooks designed to align with Fascist values. The physical environment of schools was also utilized for propaganda, with walls frequently covered in murals and slogans—such as "Mussolini is always right"—intended to reinforce the cult of the leader and the ideals of the state.12

Beyond the classroom, the government established semicompulsory youth movements. These organizations were part of a broader effort to dominate daily life and shape the younger generation's worldview. While these attempts at indoctrination were not always fully successful, they were central to the regime's strategy of creating public consent alongside the coercion exercised by the OVRA and its network of spies.12

The regime’s focus on the youth was significant enough that it eventually drew criticism from the Roman Catholic Church; in 1931, Pope Pius XI denounced the state's "pagan worship" and its efforts to snatch the young from the Church to inculcate them with "hatred, violence and irreverence".2