Italy's cabinet caps some non-Italian pupils and bans face coverings in schools

Italy's cabinet approved a school decree-law on Thursday.

The decree sets a 30 percent cap in classes on certain foreign pupils or pupils with limited Italian.

The cap applies when first-year classes are formed, from the 2027-28 school year.

In primary school the cap covers non-Italian citizens who were not born in Italy or who have not had at least two years of preschool.

In lower and upper secondary school the cap covers non-Italian citizens who have not successfully completed at least three years in Italian schools.

Pupils born in Italy, or who already attended Italian preschool or progressed through Italian schools, are outside the cap.

The decree bans the burqa and niqab, and other full-face coverings, in schools.

The hijab, which leaves the face visible, is not banned.

Breaches can bring administrative fines of up to 1,000 euros.

The decree takes effect immediately but Parliament must ratify it within 60 days.

Local school offices will try to spread pupils with little Italian among nearby schools.

Schools that cannot meet the cap can get exemptions and extra Italian-language teaching.

About 17.5 million euros is set aside for language support tied to the cap.

Valditara said the cap would affect about 1,000 classrooms, about 0.3 percent of the total.

Valditara said about 34,000 classes already have more than 30 percent foreign students.

Some parents must take free Italian courses when family language barriers hinder a child's schooling.

Schools are to report those cases to social services.

An earlier draft that could have removed a child from the family was dropped.

A 2010 ministerial circular under Mariastella Gelmini already recommended a 30 percent limit that was not fully binding.

The new decree turns that limit into law and ties it to language and prior schooling, not citizenship alone.

Education Ministry data put non-citizen students at 11.2 percent of pupils in 2022-23, and classes over 30 percent foreign at 7.6 percent.

Fondazione ISMU figures put non-Italian pupils at about 11.6 percent, roughly 900,000 students.

President Sergio Mattarella, who must sign the decree, has said he is wary of barriers to education.

Meloni previewed the plans on Sunday at a Brothers of Italy youth gathering.

National Future called in July for a crackdown on burqas in schools.

National Future, led by retired general Roberto Vannacci, is outside the coalition and is challenging Meloni from the right.

The government says the package is meant to strengthen integration through Italian.

School principals questioned whether the cap can work in migrant neighborhoods.

Schools where new foreign arrivals exceed 20 percent of enrollment get extra teaching resources.

The decree also renames technical and vocational schools.

Valditara said the limit is linguistic rather than a citizenship test.

Valditara said the government is not chasing Vannacci and that Vannacci is chasing the government.