Italy is preparing new rules for schools that would limit the number of foreign students in a classroom and ban face-covering garments such as the burqa and niqab.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the plans on September 20, saying the government would bring a measure to the Council of Ministers.
The proposal has not yet become law. The final rules, including the number of foreign students allowed in each class, will depend on the text presented by the government.
Italy Already Has a 30 Percent Classroom Rule
Italy already has rules governing the distribution of students who do not hold Italian citizenship.
According to the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, regulations introduced in 2010 set a general limit of 30 percent for students with non-Italian citizenship and limited knowledge of Italian in individual classes and schools.
The rules also allow exceptions and require regional education authorities to promote a balanced distribution of students among schools.
The ministry has described this approach as part of efforts to prevent the concentration of students with a migrant background in particular schools and classes.
The new proposal would seek to establish a maximum number through legislation. However, the government has not yet published the final number.
Italian Language Support Is Already Part of School Policy
The proposed measures also focus on Italian-language skills.
The Ministry of Education has already funded programs designed to strengthen Italian language skills among students who enter the Italian school system from abroad.
A 2025 ministry program targeted schools with classes where more than 20 percent of students had entered the Italian school system for the first time. The program aimed to strengthen Italian and basic skills and reduce the risk of educational delays and early school leaving.
This existing framework provides the background for the government’s new focus on language and integration in schools.
Burqa and Niqab Would Face a School Ban
The proposal also includes a ban on wearing the burqa and niqab in schools.
Both garments cover the face, although they differ in design and coverage. The proposal therefore concerns face coverings rather than head coverings in general.
The announcement does not mean that Italy has already introduced a new school ban.
The measure still needs to move through the government’s legislative process before its final scope becomes clear.
What the New Rules Could Change
The proposal brings together three areas of school policy: the number of foreign students in classrooms, Italian-language learning and face coverings.
For the classroom measure, the existing ministry framework already contains a 30 percent guideline for certain students with non-Italian citizenship and limited Italian-language skills.
The new legislation would determine whether that approach changes and how any new limit would apply.
Until the government publishes the full text, the exact rules remain unclear.
For now, the announcement marks a proposed change in Italy‘s approach to school integration and classroom organization. It is not yet a new law.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
