25/09/2026
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25/09/2026
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ROME, Sept 24: Italy's Council of Ministers on Thursday approved a school decree banning face coverings, including the burqa and niqab, during school activities and introducing a 30% ceiling for certain foreign pupils in first-year classes, national news agency ANSA reported.
The decree prohibits students from taking part in curricular and extracurricular activities, as well as school-family activities, with their faces covered in a manner that prevents identification, except for specific health or security reasons.
Violations can result in administrative fines ranging from €200 ($227) to €1,000 ($1,137). When the violation involves a minor, the fine will be imposed on the parent, according to the draft provisions.
The government said the measures are aimed at promoting integration and preventing the creation of what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described as “ghetto-like classrooms.”
30% cap on foreign pupils
The decree also establishes a 30% ceiling in first-year classes for specified students who do not hold Italian citizenship.
In primary schools, the limit applies to pupils who were not born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of preschool.
In lower and upper secondary schools, the cap applies to students with non-Italian citizenship who have not successfully attended the Italian national education system for at least three school years.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said about 34,000 classes currently have a foreign-student share above 30%.
He said the government wants to place greater emphasis on learning the Italian language as a tool for integration.
The decree also provides for intervention when serious and persistent language barriers within a family hinder a child's integration at school.
Schools will be required to report such cases to social services, which can arrange Italian-language courses for parents.
Failure to comply with the related provisions can result in fines ranging from €200 to €1,000.
