Italy Introduces Ban on Burqa and Niqab in Schools and Limits Foreign Students

The Italian government has approved a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools, alongside a limit on the percentage of pupils who speak little Italian in any one class. A 30% cap will be imposed on children without Italian citizenship or those with limited 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." Opposition parties accuse the government of aligning with the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party ahead of a general election next year. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara stated that the limit is "purely linguistic" and not related to citizenship, framing the ban on the niqab and burqa as a matter of gender equality. "You must go to school with your face uncovered," Meloni said while announcing the plans on Sunday, asserting that no one should decide that a young woman should hide herself in the name of tradition. The ban will apply to the burqa and niqab but not the hijab, which leaves the face visible. The niqab is a veil that covers the face except for the area around the eyes, while the burqa is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body. According to the research institution Fondazione ISMU, non-Italian citizens make up 11.6% of pupils in Italy's schools. The 30% limit will be implemented differently across educational stages. In primary schools, it will apply to non-Italian citizens who have not been born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of nursery school. In lower and upper secondary schools, it will apply to pupils without Italian citizenship who have not successfully completed at least three years in the Italian school system. Local school offices will be tasked with distributing pupils with limited Italian language skills more evenly among nearby schools, with exemptions and additional Italian teaching where necessary. The aim is to avoid "ghetto classes," according to the education minister. The draft also includes provisions for parents, requiring schools to report to social services cases where language barriers hinder a child's integration, with free Italian courses offered. The measure is a decree law, meaning it can take effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within 60 days. Italy already has guidance on Italian language in schools, with a 2010 ministerial notice setting a 30% limit on pupils without Italian citizenship. The new decree formalizes this limit into law. The political opposition claims the plan serves political interests as much as educational ones. Critics accuse Meloni of catering to Roberto Vannacci, leader of the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party, seen as a threat to the governing coalition's right flank. Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), labeled the plan as propaganda and unfeasible. PD deputy Anna Ascani also criticized the government for using propaganda at the expense of schoolchildren. Valditara, speaking via video link from New York at a press conference, rejected these accusations, stating, "We are not chasing Vannacci; if anything, he is chasing us." Vannacci expressed agreement with the measures but suggested they should have been implemented years ago. Matteo Salvini of the League, who proposed a separate package of measures on "political Islam," accused Vannacci of opposing the government. Salvini expressed hope that Futuro Nazionale would support the League's new proposals.