Andrea Innocenti The Council of Ministers has approved a new package of school regulations, commonly referred to as the " school decree ." Among the most controversial measures are a 30% cap for students who do not yet have a good command of Italian and a complete ban on burqas and niqabs inside school buildings.
The decision, presented as a tool for real integration, immediately sparked heated political debate, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein exchanging heated accusations.
The measure approved by the Council of Ministers
The approved text establishes that, starting next school year, no class will be allowed to have more than 30% foreign students who cannot speak Italian adequately.
The stated goal is to prevent the formation of ghetto-like classes and ensure all students have an equal starting point. At the same time, a total ban on the burqa and niqab has been introduced , with exceptions limited to cases of proven health or safety necessity. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara emphasized that the measure only concerns the face covering, not the traditional head scarf.
30% limit for students who do not speak Italian
According to data provided by the Ministry, approximately 38% of primary and secondary school classes currently have a percentage of foreign students exceeding the proposed limit. The government claims that reducing this quota to 30% will allow for better distribution of teaching resources, strengthen Italian language courses for foreigners, and create more cohesive environments . Opponents, however, fear that the threshold could result in an involuntary separation of communities and increase feelings of exclusion among the most vulnerable students.
Ban on burqas and niqabs in schools
The law prohibits the wearing of clothing that covers the entire face, including burqas and niqabs, in all educational institutions. The government's justification is twofold: security—since the identity of those entering the classroom must be visible—and integration, understood as full participation in school life. Many European countries have already adopted similar bans, but the measure has been met with skepticism by civil rights groups, who consider it a restriction of religious freedom.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's reactions
Giorgia Meloni expressed enthusiasm for the decree's approval on her social media channels, calling it " common-sense tools that don't divide, but help truly integrate." She emphasized that the ban does not apply to " any type of veil ," but only those that hide the face, reiterating that "a woman, or even more so, a girl, who is forced to hide her face, suffers a violation of fundamental rights." The prime minister also emphasized that the same concern for "ghetto-like classes" has been shared by all previous governments, from Letta's term to Conte's.
The protests of Elly Schlein and the Democratic Party
Elly Schlein called the decree " a shameful witch hunt at the expense of the youngest." In her statement, the Democratic Party leader highlighted the concrete difficulties Italian families face: 68 school building collapses in the last year, more than 80.000 accidents, textbook costs exceeding €500, and teacher salaries among the lowest in Europe. Schlein accused the government of "driving foreign students out of classes" instead of investing in school renovations and improving teaching staff working conditions.
The debate, now heated both on social media and in parliament, highlights the deep division over how to achieve true integration in Italian schools. While the prime minister maintains that the measures are necessary to prevent the creation of "ghetto-like classes," the political leader insists that the response should focus on structural investments and the protection of the rights of all students, without resorting to bans perceived as discriminatory.