Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on 20 September 2026 that her government is preparing two legislative proposals: one to ban face coverings in Italian schools and another to limit the number of foreign students in classrooms. Speaking at a Brothers of Italy youth event, she said large numbers of pupils who do not understand the language of instruction undermine integration; about 930,000 students without Italian citizenship, or 11.6% of the school population, are enrolled in Italy's schools, according to Fondazione ISMU.
Why it matters: The proposals could affect school access and integration rules for immigrant and non-citizen children in Italy, and they bring migration and identity issues into education policy. Supporters frame the measures as promoting integration and social cohesion, while critics are likely to see them as discriminatory toward Muslim families and foreign-born students.
Claire Carter
2026.09.24
98% relevant
This advances the same underlying event by reporting that the Italian government has now approved the previously announced measures: a 30% cap on non-Italian-citizen students per classroom and a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools.
Claire Carter
2026.09.21
98% relevant
This article covers the same announcement by Giorgia Meloni at the Brothers of Italy gathering in Rome that her government will propose banning burqas and niqabs in schools, capping the number of foreign students in classes, and requiring some parents to take Italian lessons.
Jordyn Dahl
2026.09.20
100% relevant
This article establishes a new story because it is the first concrete report here that Meloni said her government is preparing specific school-related legislative proposals on face coverings and foreign-student limits in Italy.
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