Italy is preparing a new set of school rules that could reshape how migration, language and cultural integration are handled in classrooms. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to restrict full-face coverings such as burqas and niqabs in schools, introduce a ceiling on foreign students in individual classes and require some parents of foreign students to learn Italian. The proposals are expected to be taken up by the Cabinet as Rome seeks to address what it describes as challenges of integration in the education system.
Italy is set to consider a series of proposed measures aimed at strengthening integration in its schools, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announcing plans to restrict face coverings such as burqas and niqabs and limit the number of foreign students in individual classrooms.
Meloni announced the proposals on Sunday while addressing a youth gathering organised by her Brothers of Italy party. She said the measures would soon be presented to the Cabinet. The proposal would also require parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties integrating into the Italian school system to learn the Italian language.
The proposed classroom limit is yet to be specified. Meloni argued that the concentration of students who do not speak Italian could make integration more difficult. According to her reasoning, when only one child in a classroom has limited Italian skills, teachers and classmates can help the student adapt. However, she said a larger concentration could make linguistic integration more challenging.
The plan places schools at the centre of Italy's broader debate over migration and integration. Italy's geographical position in the Mediterranean has made it an important arrival point for migrants, keeping immigration and integration prominent issues in national politics.
One of the most prominent elements of the proposed measures is the plan to prohibit burqas and niqabs in schools. Meloni told students that they would have to attend school with their faces uncovered, arguing that no tradition should require a young woman to conceal her face in an Italian school.
The proposal specifically concerns full-face coverings. Reports on Meloni's announcement have noted that the measure does not amount to a general ban on all Islamic head coverings; the focus announced by the government is on garments that cover the face.
The proposal would still need to go through the legislative process before becoming law. Reports indicate that parliamentary approval would be required after government approval.
The proposed classroom cap comes against the backdrop of a sizeable population of students holding non-Italian citizenship. Data from Fondazione ISMU, based on ISTAT figures for the 2024-25 academic year, show that 931,323 students with non-Italian citizenship were enrolled in Italian schools. They accounted for 11.6% of the country's total school population, meaning nearly 12 students out of every 100 held foreign citizenship.
The proportion differs across levels of education. Students with non-Italian citizenship account for 13.7% of primary-school pupils, 12.7% in pre-primary education and 12.6% in lower secondary education. Their share is lower in upper secondary education, at 8.6%.
The students are also concentrated geographically. More than a quarter are in Lombardy, while Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lazio and Piedmont also have substantial numbers.
Meloni's proposal also puts language learning at the centre of the integration process. Under the planned measure, parents of foreign students experiencing serious difficulties in adapting to the school system would be required to learn Italian.
The government is therefore linking classroom integration not only to the students themselves but also to their families. The underlying approach is that stronger knowledge of Italian could make communication between families, teachers and schools easier.
The precise design of the measures—including the maximum number of foreign students permitted in a class—remains to be established. Until the proposal is formally approved and its provisions published, its eventual scope and implementation will depend on the legislative process.
For now, Meloni's announcement signals a significant attempt to place language, classroom composition and religious dress within the same broader policy discussion about integration in Italian schools.
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