Italy caps non-Italian speakers at 30% in classrooms and bans full-face veils in schools

Cabinet approves classroom limits and veil ban

The Italian Council of Ministers approved a school decree setting a 30% cap on pupils with limited Italian language proficiency in classrooms across the first year of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The decree bans the wearing of the burqa and niqab in schools, while allowing headscarves such as the hijab that leave the face uncovered. It also introduces mandatory language courses for parents who lack adequate Italian, backed by fines of up to 1,000 euros for non-attendance. Premier Giorgia Meloni described the package as common-sense tools designed to assist integration. Announcing the policy, she argued that face coverings conflict with school environments.

“You must go to school with an uncovered face.”

Implementation rules and regional demographic divide

The 30% ceiling applies differently depending on the school level. In primary schools, it covers non-Italian pupils who were born abroad or attended fewer than two years of preschool, while in secondary schools it targets non-citizens who have not completed three years in the Italian school system. Ministry data from the 2022–2023 academic year processed by Skuola.net indicates that 4,223 schools (7.9% of the total) currently exceed the 30% threshold for foreign students. The concentration remains heavily skewed toward northern and central regions, led by Lombardy at 16.8% of classrooms and Emilia-Romagna at 15.6%. In contrast, southern regions such as Puglia and Sardinia register only 0.4% of classrooms above the threshold.

Lombardy16.8%

Emilia-Romagna15.6%

Liguria13.9%

Piedmont11.2%

Veneto10.5%

Tuscany10.4%

Sicily1.5%

Basilicata1.1%

Campania0.6%

Puglia0.4%

Sardinia0.4%

Lombardy

16.8 %

Emilia-Romagna

15.6 %

Liguria

13.9 %

Piedmont

11.2 %

Veneto

10.5 %

Tuscany

10.4 %

Sicily

1.5 %

Basilicata

1.1 %

Campania

0.6 %

Puglia

0.4 %

Sardinia

0.4 %

Data from the article text

Second-generation demographics and metropolitan clusters

Across Italy, roughly 930,000 foreign students account for 11.6% of total school enrollment, according to Fondazione ISMU and ministerial records. However, 65.2% of these students were born in Italy, meaning nearly two in three foreign pupils acquired Italian as their native tongue and face no initial learning hurdles. Metropolitan areas hold the largest absolute populations of foreign students, led by Milan with over 82,000 pupils, Rome with 66,000, and Turin with 40,000. At the provincial level, Prato leads nationally with a 28% foreign student ratio, followed by Piacenza at 25.2%.

Milan area82,000

Rome area66,000

Turin area40,000

Milan area

82000

Rome area

66000

Turin area

40000

Data from the article text

Mayors warn of closures as parents react

Municipal leaders voiced practical concerns about the implementation of the new rules. Speaking at the ResQ event in Milan, Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that immigrant child populations exceed 30% in several city districts. Sala warned that strict enforcement of the cap could force the municipality to shutter specific classes or entire facilities against its will.

“The thing that worries me most is the percentage cap. I am looking into the figures, and I fear we may have to close some classes, or even entire schools, not by choice.”

Local governance and community response

Naples Mayor and ANCI President Gaetano Manfredi urged caution, pointing out that long-established immigrant populations in areas like the Vesuvian agricultural and textile belt require support through targeted local initiatives rather than rigid statutory quotas. Outside the multicultural Di Donato elementary school in Rome's Esquilino district, reactions among immigrant parents were mixed. Juana, a Peruvian hotel worker, supported Italian lessons but called the 1,000 euro fine excessive for working mothers, whereas Brazilian parent Marcelo supported the cap to prevent language barriers from slowing classroom instruction. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara maintained that the restriction is strictly linguistic rather than based on nationality.