Rome, Italy (HRNW)- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans for new school regulations that would limit the number of foreign students in individual classes and prohibit face coverings such as the burqa and niqab in schools. She said the proposals will soon be presented to the Italian Cabinet.
Speaking at an annual gathering of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party, Meloni said the proposed measures are intended to strengthen integration in the Italian education system. She also proposed requiring parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into school to learn Italian.
Meloni argued that a high concentration of students who do not speak Italian could make integration more difficult. She said schools should ensure that students are able to participate fully in classroom life and society.
The proposal on face coverings specifically refers to the burqa and niqab; the announced measure, according to Reuters and ANSA, is still a proposal and has not yet become law.
According to figures from the Fondazione ISMU cited by Reuters, students without Italian citizenship account for around 11.6 percent of pupils in Italian schools.
The proposed foreign-student cap has already prompted discussion over how such a rule could be implemented in practice. Italian school leaders have raised concerns about balancing any limit with schools’ obligations to admit children living in their local areas.
The announcement comes amid Italy’s continuing debate over immigration, school integration, and religious expression, with the government preparing to take the proposed measures forward for consideration.
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