Italy is preparing to introduce new school rules that would ban face veils such as burqas and niqabs and limit the number of foreign students in each classroom, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday.
Speaking at an annual youth event organised by her Brothers of Italy party, Meloni said a measure would soon be presented to the Cabinet. The proposed rules would also require parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn Italian.
“If there is only one child in a class who doesn’t understand Italian, that child will likely be able to learn the language and integrate quickly with the help of classmates and teachers. However, if the number of children who don’t understand the language becomes large – or even the majority – that is no longer integration; it is neglect,” Meloni said.
She did not specify the maximum number of foreign students that would be allowed in a class. According to research institution Fondazione ISMU, students who are not Italian citizens account for 11.6% of those enrolled in Italian schools.
Addressing face coverings, Meloni said: “You must go to school with your face uncovered, and in Italy no one, in the name of a real or supposed tradition, can decide that a young woman must hide herself.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing debates in Italy over migration, cultural integration, religious symbols and immigration policy.
