Meloni says Italy will ban burqas in schools and cap foreign pupils per class
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the cabinet will propose limits on foreign pupils per class, require Italian for struggling families and ban burqas and niqabs in schools.
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced that her government is preparing measures to ban face-covering veils in schools and to limit the number of foreign pupils in each class.
"The measure will soon be presented at a cabinet meeting to legally establish the maximum number of foreign pupils per class. Parents of foreign pupils who face serious difficulties integrating into the school system will also be required to learn Italian, and burqas and niqabs will be banned in schools," Meloni said.
Political and social context
The proposals come amid ongoing pressure from migrant arrivals that have made immigration a dominant issue in Italian politics. Officials say stricter rules in schools are aimed at accelerating integration and addressing local concerns about classroom cohesion and language barriers.
Critics warn that measures targeting religious dress could deepen social tensions and stigmatize Muslim communities, while supporters frame the steps as necessary for preserving secular schooling and promoting rapid language acquisition among newcomers.
The announcement places education and migration at the centre of debate over how Italy balances integration policies with public concerns about immigration, citizenship rules and the display of religious symbols.
Photo: Fejsbuk)
