Meloni government imposes restrictions to avoid “ghetto classes” in schools

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has approved a new decree limiting the number of students with insufficient command of Italian who can be placed in the same classroom, while also banning face coverings such as burqas and niqabs on school premises.

Meloni described the Cabinet’s measures as “tools of common sense that do not divide,” as Italian media reports, saying they would promote integration by preventing what the right-wing leader called “ghetto classes.”

She added that the new rules would ensure all students have the “same opportunities.”

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the decree capping foreign student numbers would affect around 1,000 classrooms, representing 0.3% of the country’s total.

Official data cited by Deutsche Welle shows that pupils without Italian citizenship accounted for 11.2% of Italy’s school population in the 2022-23 academic year, while classes in which more than 30% of students were foreign nationals accounted for 7.6% of the total.

Under the decree, classrooms will generally be subject to a 30% cap on foreign students who do not have sufficient proficiency in Italian, with exceptions for primary schools.

In lower and upper secondary schools, the same limit will apply to students without Italian citizenship who have not attended Italy’s school system for at least three years.

Schools that fail to comply with the rules could face fines of up to €1,000.

As part of the government’s measures, the decree also bans burqas and niqabs in schools, while continuing to allow hijabs.

Meloni described the ban on face coverings as “a matter of security.”

“When a woman — or worse, a young girl — is forced to cover her face, she is being denied fundamental rights and the very integration that is so often loudly championed,” Meloni was quoted as saying in a television interview.

The legislation still requires parliamentary approval within 60 days, although the restrictions are due to take effect immediately. Meloni’s coalition currently holds a majority in parliament.

Opponents of the decree have expressed concern that the new rules could force some students to attend schools far from the neighborhoods where they live.

Reports have also highlighted concerns among school authorities about how the restrictions would work in areas with large migrant populations.

Opposition leader Elly Schlein criticized the decree, accusing Meloni’s government of launching “a new witch hunt at the expense of children.” Other critics have accused the government of making immigration an increasingly prominent political issue ahead of next year’s general election.

Several European countries already have laws restricting or prohibiting face coverings in public.

France became the first European country to introduce a nationwide ban on full-face coverings in public spaces in 2011. Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and Luxembourg later adopted similar measures, with Portugal following suit only this month.

Other countries have introduced partial restrictions on face coverings in specific settings, including schools and public institutions. These include Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.

By Nazrin Sadigova