Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to ban burqas and niqabs in schools, while also proposing a legal limit on the number of foreign students in individual classrooms. The measures are expected to be presented to Italy’s Council of Ministers, but they have not yet become law.
Face Coverings to Be Restricted
Speaking at a youth event organised by her Brothers of Italy party in Rome, Meloni said schools should require students to attend with their faces uncovered. She linked the proposed restriction to gender equality, saying that no one should be able to decide that a young woman must hide her face in the name of a tradition.
She also described gender equality as “non-negotiable” in Italian society and schools.
The proposal would specifically target full-face coverings such as the burqa and niqab. Italy currently does not have a law that expressly bans these garments in schools or public places, although a 1975 law restricts clothing that makes identification difficult without a justified reason.
Foreign Students Could Face Classroom Limit
Meloni also announced plans to introduce a maximum number of foreign students per classroom. However, she has not yet specified what the proposed limit would be.
Reuters reported that students who are not Italian citizens currently account for about 11.6% of students enrolled in Italian schools, according to Fondazione ISMU.
Italy already has rules concerning the proportion of foreign students in schools. The existing framework has generally used a 30% ceiling, although exceptions can apply depending on students’ language skills and other circumstances.
Italian Lessons for Some Parents
The proposed package would also require parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the school system to learn Italian, according to Meloni. She said people coming to Italy should learn the language, understand the country’s culture and follow its rules.
Proposals Yet to Become Law
The announcements come as immigration and integration remain major political issues in Italy ahead of next year’s general election. For now, the measures are government proposals rather than enacted rules.
Details, including the exact foreign-student limit and how the face-covering ban would be enforced, are still to be determined.