Italy has moved ahead with a set of new education measures that include a ban on wearing burqas and niqabs in schools and a 30% ceiling on students who do not have an adequate command of the Italian language in individual classrooms, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government said this week.
The measures were first announced by Meloni on September 20 during an annual gathering of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party in Rome. At the time, she said the government would introduce legislation aimed at limiting the number of foreign students in classrooms, requiring some parents to learn Italian and prohibiting full-face coverings in schools.
The Italian Council of Ministers subsequently approved the school decree on September 24. Meloni said the package was intended to promote integration while preventing classrooms from becoming isolated communities where students with limited Italian-language skills are concentrated together. The government has described the measures as part of an effort to ensure that students can participate fully in the education system and acquire the language skills needed to study in Italy.
Under the decree, no more than 30% of students in a class may have an inadequate command of Italian. The measure is aimed specifically at language proficiency rather than simply nationality, according to the government’s description of the decree. Additional support for learning Italian will also be introduced.
The government has also said that parents of children facing serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system could be required to attend Italian-language classes. Parents who fail to comply with the requirement could face fines of up to €1,000, according to reports on the approved measures.
The face-covering provision specifically targets the burqa and niqab. A burqa covers the body and face, including the eyes with a mesh covering, while a niqab generally leaves the eyes visible while covering the rest of the face. Meloni did not refer to the hijab, which covers the hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered, when she initially announced the proposal.
Speaking at the youth event earlier this month, Meloni said people who come to Italy and intend to establish their future there should learn Italian, understand the country’s culture and follow its laws. She also linked the face-covering measure to her government’s position on integration and women’s rights.
Italy has previously maintained a 30% guideline concerning students who are not Italian nationals, introduced through a ministerial circular in 2010. The provision has not always been strictly applied, particularly in areas where demographic conditions make compliance difficult. The new decree seeks to establish a more formal framework based on students’ ability to communicate in Italian.
The announcement comes as migration and integration remain prominent issues in Italian politics. Italy’s geographical position in the central Mediterranean has made it one of the main entry points for migrants arriving in Europe, while questions surrounding integration, language education and cultural identity have remained subjects of political debate.
The proposals have also drawn criticism from opposition politicians and rights groups. Critics have questioned whether placing limits on students based on language ability could create separation within the education system. Save the Children warned that requiring children to change schools or study separately because of nationality or limited Italian proficiency could create unequal educational experiences.
Constitutional law experts have also raised questions about how far the new restrictions can go without conflicting with Italy’s constitutional guarantee that education is open to everyone. Professor Salvatore Curreri of the University of Enna said that if the measures resulted in children being moved far from their homes, they could become excessive and potentially undermine the objective of integration.
Opposition figures have accused Meloni’s government of focusing on migration and cultural issues instead of addressing broader problems within Italy’s education system. Green and Left Alliance lawmaker Angelo Bonelli criticised the government’s approach and argued that issues such as teachers’ salaries and school conditions also required attention.
Meloni, however, has defended the measures as necessary to prevent schools from developing what she describes as segregated or “ghetto” classrooms. Following the Cabinet decision, she said the government wanted an education system that promoted integration while maintaining rules and giving students a common starting point.
The measures place Italy among a number of European countries that have introduced restrictions on full-face coverings. France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and several other European countries have restrictions of varying scope on face coverings in public spaces, while Austria has introduced additional restrictions concerning Islamic head coverings in schools.
The Italian government’s latest move is therefore part of a wider European debate over immigration, religious expression, language education and integration. The implementation of the new rules, particularly the classroom limit and requirements placed on parents, is expected to remain a subject of political and legal discussion as Italy moves towards its next general election.
