Italy Approves School Ban on Burqa and Niqab and Sets 30% Cap on Foreign Pupils
The Italian government has approved a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools, alongside a new limit on the proportion of pupils with limited Italian language skills in any single classroom. Under the new measures, a 30% cap will be imposed on children without Italian citizenship or those with poor knowledge of the Italian language in the first year of primary, middle, and high school.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the measures as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate." Announcing the plans, Meloni stated, "You must go to school with your face uncovered," adding that no one could decide that a young woman should hide herself in the name of tradition.
Details of the Veil Ban and Classroom Caps
The veil ban specifically targets the burqa—a one-piece veil covering the face and body, often with a mesh screen over the eyes—and the niqab, which covers the face but leaves the area around the eyes clear. The ban does not apply to the hijab, which leaves the face visible. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara framed the ban on the niqab and burqa as a matter of gender equality.
According to the research institution Fondazione ISMU, non-Italian citizens make up 11.6% of pupils in Italy's schools. The new 30% limit on pupils who speak limited Italian will apply differently across various stages of education:
- In primary schools, the cap covers non-Italian citizens who were not born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of nursery school.
- In lower- and upper-secondary schools, it covers pupils without Italian citizenship who have not successfully completed at least three years in the Italian school system.
Local school offices will be directed to distribute pupils with limited Italian language skills more evenly among nearby schools. Where even distribution is not possible, exemptions will apply, accompanied by extra Italian language teaching. Minister Valditara explained that the aim of the policy is to avoid "ghetto classes" and insisted the limit is "purely linguistic" rather than based on citizenship.
Measures for Parents and Legislative Process
According to the Ansa news agency, the draft decree also introduces measures targeting parents. Schools will be required to report cases to social services where persistent language barriers among those with parental responsibility hinder a child's integration. Free Italian courses will be offered to assist these parents.
The measure has been introduced as a decree law, meaning it can take effect immediately. However, it must be ratified by the Italian parliament within 60 days to remain in force. While Italy has had guidance on Italian language limits in schools since a 2010 ministerial notice set a non-binding 30% limit, this new decree officially writes the limit into law.
Political Opposition and Debate
Opposition parties have accused the government of using the policy as propaganda ahead of next year's general election. Opponents claim Meloni is pandering to Roberto Vannacci, a retired military general who leads the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party, which is seen as a threat to the governing coalition's right flank.
Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), called the plan propaganda and described it as impossible to implement. PD deputy and chamber vice-president Anna Ascani also accused the government of engaging in propaganda at the expense of schoolchildren.
Minister Valditara, speaking via video link from New York, rejected these accusations, stating, "We are not chasing Vannacci; if anything, he is chasing us." Vannacci expressed agreement with the measures but remarked that they should have been implemented years ago. Meanwhile, the League's Matteo Salvini, who recently launched a separate package of measures targeting what he termed "political Islam," accused Vannacci of "continually voting against the government" and expressed hope that Futuro Nazionale would support the League's proposals.
