Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has enacted new regulations for schools that include a ban on face-covering Islamic veils, such as burqas and niqabs, and a limit on the number of students who do not speak fluent Italian in each classroom. The decree was approved on Thursday and aims to promote integration by preventing what Meloni described as 'ghetto classes.' Meloni stated that the rules would ensure all students receive equal opportunities.
Opposition parties and critics have condemned the measures, with some labeling them a 'witch hunt' and accusing the government of politicizing immigration ahead of the upcoming general election. The regulations will take effect immediately but require parliamentary approval within 60 days. Meloni's coalition holds a majority in the legislature.
While the decree bans burqas and niqabs, it allows hijabs. Meloni referred to the ban as a 'matter of security,' arguing that forcing women or girls to cover their faces denies them fundamental rights and hinders integration.
Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara indicated that the measures would impact approximately 1,000 classrooms, representing 0.3% of the total nationwide. Official data from 2022 to 2023 showed that pupils without Italian citizenship made up 11.2% of the school population, with classes exceeding 30% foreign students accounting for 7.6% of the total.
Critics express concern that the new regulations could require students to attend schools far from their neighborhoods. School authorities have also raised questions about the implementation of these rules in areas with significant migrant populations. Save the Children, an independent child rights organization, urged the government to consider the potential discriminatory effects of the measures, warning they could create 'first-class' and 'second-class' students.
Opposition leader Elly Schlein criticized the decree, asserting that it represents a 'new witch hunt at the expense of children.' Meloni leads what is considered the most right-wing government in Italy since World War II.