ROME, Sept 25: Italy's government has approved a new decree introducing limits on the number of students with limited Italian-language skills in individual classrooms and banning full-face Islamic veils, including burqas and niqabs, in schools.
The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the measures are intended to strengthen integration, improve Italian-language learning and prevent the concentration of newly arrived students with limited language skills in particular classrooms.
Under the new rules, schools would generally be limited to 30 per cent of students with insufficient Italian proficiency in a single classroom. The decree takes immediate effect but must be approved by Parliament within 60 days.
Around 1,000 Classrooms Expected to Be Affected
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the measure would affect around 1,000 classrooms, representing approximately 0.3 per cent of classrooms nationwide.
Local education authorities will coordinate student placements to avoid excessive concentrations of students with limited Italian proficiency. Schools that cannot meet the limit could receive exemptions and additional funding for language support.
Students who were born in Italy, attended Italian preschool or have already progressed through the country's school system would be exempt from the cap.
According to Education Ministry data, students without Italian citizenship accounted for 11.2 per cent of Italy's school population in the 2022–23 academic year, while classrooms with more than 30 per cent foreign students accounted for 7.6 per cent of the total.
Burqa and Niqab Ban
The decree also prohibits the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools, while hijabs remain permitted.
The government has presented the measure as part of its broader approach to integration. However, opposition parties, educators and other critics have questioned the practical need for the restriction, noting that full-face veils are reportedly uncommon in Italian schools.
Italy's move is narrower than measures adopted by some other European countries. France, for example, has prohibited full-face coverings in public spaces since 2011 and restricts conspicuous religious symbols, including Islamic headscarves, in public schools.
Teachers and Opposition Raise Concerns
Some school principals and teachers' unions have questioned how the classroom limits would work in neighbourhoods with large migrant populations.
Antonello Giannelli, president of Italy's National Association of Principals, said the objective of addressing language barriers was understandable but could be difficult to implement where only one school serves an area with a large immigrant population.
Teachers' unions have also criticised the lack of consultation and questioned whether the government's 14-million-euro funding package would be sufficient to provide specialised language teachers and cultural mediators.
Opposition parties have argued that the new classroom threshold largely reflects guidance introduced by the Education Ministry in 2010. Centre-left leader Elly Schlein accused the government of using education policy to advance its broader political message on migration.
Education Minister Valditara rejected the criticism and said the focus of the policy was language acquisition and educational support.
Italian-Language Courses for Some Parents
The decree also provides additional teaching resources to schools where newly arrived foreign students account for more than 20 per cent of enrolment and additional language-learning funds for schools exceeding the 30 per cent threshold.
In certain cases, parents of foreign students may also be required to attend Italian-language courses if family language barriers are considered to be contributing to educational or behavioural difficulties.
Schools may refer eligible families to social services, which can enrol them in tailored programmes through adult education centres.
Parents who fail to attend could face fines ranging from 200 to 1,000 euros, although exemptions apply in cases involving certified medical, disability-related or age-related barriers to language learning.
The measures are part of the Meloni government's wider policies on immigration, integration and education.
