Italy approves decree banning face coverings in schools and capping foreign pupils at 30% per class

Italy’s right-wing government on Thursday approved a decree imposing a 30% cap on foreign pupils in primary school classrooms and banning face coverings on school premises, in a move critics say is aimed at countering a rising far-right rival ahead of elections due next year, Reuters reported.

From the 2027-28 school year, the cap will apply to pupils who are not Italian nationals and were not born in Italy, or who attended fewer than two years of nursery school in the country, according to the draft decree. The measure includes fines of up to €1,000 for anyone entering school premises wearing a face covering, which coalition figures describe as symbols of Islamist oppression.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on X that the decree also bans burqas and niqabs in schools, alongside compulsory Italian lessons for parents of foreign pupils facing serious integration difficulties. “These are common-sense measures that do not divide people, but help foster genuine integration,” she posted.

The hijab is not covered by the ban because it does not obscure the face, and Italy’s long-standing 30% guideline on foreign pupils per class was previously non-binding. The measures come as Meloni faces pressure from National Future, a party founded in February by former army general Roberto Vannacci that is polling at about 8%, while her coalition trails the centre-left bloc. As a decree law, the rules will require parliamentary approval within 60 days to become law.

Sources

• Reuters: Italy’s Meloni tightens foreign pupil rules
• Moneycontrol: Italy bans burqas and niqabs in schools
• Indian Express: Italy PM Meloni plans burqa, niqab ban in schools