Italy bans school face veils and sets 30% language quotas for foreign students

School dress code and face-covering prohibition

Italian schools introduced a nationwide ban on face coverings after President Sergio Mattarella signed an emergency government decree on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. The decree establishes that students' faces must remain recognizable at all times within educational facilities, meaning students wearing full face coverings will not be admitted. The text specifies that facial features must remain identifiable to school staff, preventing students from entering classrooms with obscured faces. This rule effectively prohibits the wearing of Islamic garments such as the burqa and the niqab across all school levels throughout the country. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the draft regulations in September following the summer school recess, after which the Italian Council of Ministers granted official approval. The measure took effect immediately across the national school network following the formal presidential signature and official release from the presidential office.

Language quotas and parental obligations

In addition to clothing restrictions, the decree introduces a quota system aimed at foreign students who do not possess sufficient command of the Italian language. Starting in the 2027–2028 academic year, non-fluent foreign pupils cannot account for more than 30% of any first-year classroom at any educational level. The ceiling targets children who do not hold Italian citizenship, were not born in Italy, and did not attend an Italian preschool or kindergarten for at least two years. In secondary schools, foreign students must have attended an educational institution in Italy for at least three full years to avoid the quota restrictions. The decree also extends integration rules to families, allowing schools to require parents with severe language difficulties to attend Italian language courses if communication barriers hinder interaction with school administrators.

Legislative procedure and political pressure

The Meloni administration enacted these regulations through an emergency decree to ensure immediate enforcement across Italian schools. Under the Italian constitution, the national parliament must review and convert the emergency measure into law within 60 days, or the decree will automatically lapse and lose its legal validity. Meloni has led a three-party right-wing and conservative coalition since winning the 2022 national election on campaign pledges to enforce strict policies regarding migration and border enforcement. At 49 years old, Meloni is the longest continuously serving post-war prime minister in Italian history.

Civil society reaction and future elections

Although her party, Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia), continues to lead national voting polls, the ruling coalition faces political competition ahead of the 2027 general election. Pressure has emerged from the new party Futuro Nazionale, founded by former army general Roberto Vannacci, which advocates even harsher anti-immigration measures and had previously demanded a burqa ban in July 2026. The decree also prompted pushback from civil society groups monitoring migrant integration. Humanitarian organization Save the Children warned that compelling children to register at alternate schools because of their nationality or language proficiency risks creating tiers of first-class and second-class pupils. Integration and immigration remain central topics across Italian political debates as the country heads toward the scheduled 2027 legislative vote.