Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government is preparing legislation to ban face coverings in schools and to limit the number of foreign pupils in classrooms. She argued that children should not feel like a minority and warned that a large share of non-Italian-speaking pupils would indicate failed integration. Fondazione ISMU estimates about 930,000 students lack Italian citizenship, or roughly 11.6% of the school population. A separate bill to ban the burqa and niqab in public is being debated in the lower house.
Meloni Announces Proposal to Ban Face Coverings in Schools, Seeks Cap on Foreign Students
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday said her government is working on a ban on face coverings in schools and a limit on foreign student in classrooms. Photo by Massimo Percossi/EPA
On Sept. 20, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government is preparing legislation to ban face coverings in schools and to introduce limits on the number of foreign pupils allowed in classrooms.
Speaking at an annual event organized by the youth division of her right-wing Brothers of Italy party, Meloni said, "Italian children cannot feel like a minority in the classroom."
She added: "If the number of children who do not understand the language of instruction becomes large, or even forms the majority, that is no longer integration. That is neglect."
Research institute Fondazione ISMU estimates there are about 930,000 students without Italian citizenship, roughly 11.6% of the school population.
Meloni did not provide details on how a proposed cap on foreign students would be structured or enforced, and it was not immediately clear what legal or practical measures the proposed face-covering ban would include.
Separately, lawmakers in Italy's lower house are debating a bill that would ban the burqa and niqab in public places across the country. The proposed school measures appear intended to address concerns about language integration and visibility in classrooms.
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